Song of the Whispering Flowers
by AnonymousYoshi
Summary: Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya mysteriously vanished one year ago. A year later, other captains and lieutenants and following suite, leaving Soul Society in a state of confusion. Is this the end of the 13 Court Guard Squads?     DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bleach
1. Slumber of the Camellia

_Author's Note: _Please excuse any grammar mistakes, I have proofread this chapter and attempted to fix up any mistakes. Also, please excuse any other mistakes you may find. This is more of a "pilot" chapter, as my writing isn't all that good in it. I appreciate any comments. Thank you so much for reading this! Please enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Bleach or any of the characters owned by Bleach. All rights go to Tite Kubo.

The 6th Division Barracks were oddly quiet that night. It was as if the entire division had simultaneously decided to fall into a deep slumber. It felt like a ghost-town. It seemed as if every Shinigami in the 6th Division was simply sleeping. All except one. Or perhaps, two.

"Captain Kuchiki! A squad of Shinigami has entered the barracks. What should we do?" 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai prompted 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki upon entering the Captain's study.

"I will leave that to you, Renji. Take some other Shinigami if you must." Byakuya replied calmly, returning to his paperwork.

"But that's the problem, Captain! The rest of the Shinigami are gone!" Renji continued exasperatedly.

"What?" Byakuya burst out of his chair, suddenly alarmed. "Stay here Renji!" Byakuya commanded Renji before promptly Shunpo'ing away. In moments, Byakuya was directly behind the hostile Shinigami in the courtyard of the 6th Division Barracks.

"Way of Binding #63, Locking Bondage Stripes!" Byakuya directed at the hostile Shinigami, who were instantly bound up with each other. There were four of the Shinigami.

"Who are you and what business do you have here?" Byakuya immediately demanded.

"We won't talk, Captain Kuchiki." The tallest of the four replied.

"Then I shall have to force you to talk. You obviously don't fear death, but even those with the strongest resolve break under pain. Way of Destruction #4, Pale Lightning!" A concentrated bolt of lightning shot from Byakuya's index finger and blasted a hole through the tall one's left shoulder.

"You think you can shatter our resolve that easily?" The tall one again mocked Byakuya, showing no signs of pain at all. "Way of Destruction #58, Orchid Sky!" His sword shot out of its sheath, before spinning so quickly that it created a tornado of sorts aiming straight at Byakuya.

"Way of Binding #81, Splitting Void!" Byakuya conjured up his energy barrier, narrowly managing to block off the wind vortex. "You truly thought you could defeat me with a single Kidō of that power level? I thought that I could spare miserable scum like you, but apparently I was mistaken. I shall give you the honor of being slain by the head of the Kuchiki house. Scatter, Senbonzakura!" Byakuya unsheathed his sword, having it dissolve into cherry blossom petals seemingly flying through the wind.

"Way of Binding #73, Inverse Mountain Crystal!" The one tied to the right of the tall one chanted, quickly setting up a barrier between them and the many blades of Senbonzakura.

"Kidō is best used as a surprise attack, rogue Shinigami. You would do well to remember that." Byakuya taunted at their foolishness. "Senbonzakura! Destroy their barrier!" The mass of pink flower petals engulfed the pyramid, and soon several cracks had been busted through the barrier, with thousands of flower petals surging in through the holes. The sound of the hostile Shinigami's screams could be heard throughout the massacre.

After a few more seconds, the pyramid completely collapsed down on top of the Shinigami. There was one last dull scream, and then all was silent.

"Way of Destruction #58, Orchid Sky!" Byakuya aimed the tornado straight at the wreckage of the shattered pyramid and the flower petals of Senbonzakura. The rubble was cleared away in no time, revealing three of the four Shinigami had been knocked out. The tall one was on his knees, fighting to keep consciousness, his shoulder bleeding profusely.

"Tell me where the rest of my division is, miscreant." Byakuya flat-out demanded of the Shinigami.

"I already told you, I won't talk if you cut off all my limbs." The Shinigami continued to refuse Byakuya.

"Then do that I shall." Byakuya vanished for a brief moment, reappearing far behind the Shinigami. A couple seconds later, the Shinigami fell to the ground as his left arm fell off, courtesy of Byakuya's blade. "Now tell me, rogue Shinigami, lest I have to cut off all your limbs. Where is my division?"

"The one who planned this assault is our former leader, Hisashi Shimizu, has them. I warn you, he is far stronger than any of us. He is a master of the mind. His abilities to brainwash and manipulate people are unlike any other. That is probably how he managed to do off with your division. It is also how he managed to control my squad." The Shinigami mumbled out, before passing out on the ground.

Byakuya vanished promptly after, Shunpo'ing back to his office, only to find Renji missing.

"Renji!" Byakuya called out, but no one responded. "Renji!" Suddenly, on his second summon, a figure dropped down from the roof behind him.

"Looking for me?" Renji laughed, blatantly mocking Byakuya. Byakuya glanced back, facing his lieutenant, only to find Renji's sword pointed firmly at Byakuya's face, his eyes unfocused and dreamy.

"Renji!" Byakuya exclaimed as Renji lunged at him, his sword poised to slay Byakuya, the latter of which dodged easily with Shunpo.

"Howl, Zabimaru!" Renji summoned, as his sword shape-shifted into a sword-whip amalgamation.

"Renji, what are you doing?" Byakuya prompted him while dodging Renji's constant wave of attacks.

"I had, and only have but one goal in becoming a Shinigami! And that is to surpass you Byakuya! I have always been but the moon, always unable to do anything other than bask and reflect your glory! I will finish you here, and become my own sun!" Renji revealed to Byakuya.

"You think you can defeat me, Renji? In my own study?" Byakuya taunted Renji, knowing that he could easily continue to dodge Zabimaru.

"If you're so confident, then try this on for size! Way of Destruction #31, Red Fire Cannon!" Renji attempted to fire the ball of energy at Byakuya, but rather than leave his hand it blew up in his face.

It was in that moment that Byakuya realized that Renji had been brainwashed. Renji himself knew of his ineptitude in Kidō, and had the sense to never use it in dire situations.

"Way of Binding #61, Six Rods Prison of Light!" Byakuya muttered, and Renji was instantly caught in Byakuya's Kidō, his entire body completely immobilized.

"Byakuya! Let me out of this and come fight me like a man!" Renji yelled at Byakuya, his eyes rolling upward in anger.

"Foolish Shinigami whose name does not deserve my lips, perhaps you should be the one to stop hiding behind others and come out and fight me." Byakuya continued, unfazed by Renji's anger.

"Byakuya Kuchiki, you are quite the clever one." Renji mocked Byakuya, his tone of voice drastically changing from just a few moments before. "However, if you do not let Renji Abarai go, I shall kill the rest of the 6th Division. I should hope that you, as Captain, would like to prevent such a trivial cause for the death of your entire division."

"Do you truly think that you can bargain with me?" Byakuya challenged Renji. "The difference between our power is like the difference between the heaven and the earth."

"As true as that may be, your power does not extend to being able to save the rest of your division. Surrender to me at once and I shall spare your division's life. Fail to do so, and I shall brutally murder all of them." Hisashi spoke through Renji, forcing Byakuya into a corner.

"You no longer deserve the title of Shinigami, demented monster. Take Renji and leave. Should I ever see you again, I swear I will kill you." Byakuya grudgingly agreed to his terms, and released his Kidō.

"There's a good boy." Renji laughed, then vanished and Shunpo'ed away.

"Hisashi Shimizu…I swear by the Kuchiki family name that if you try to pull anything again, I will find you, and end you." Byakuya vowed, sheathing Senbonzakura.


	2. Cold Pride of the Narcissus

_Author's Note: _Again, please excuse any grammar mistakes, I have proofread this chapter and attempted to fix up any mistakes. Also, please excuse any other mistakes you may find. I appreciate any comments. Thank you so much for reading this! Please enjoy!

It was snowing on the 10th Division Barracks. Some wondered if it was Captain Hitsugaya's doing, or whether it what simply a fluke of nature. It had been a whole year since Tōshirō Hitsugaya mysteriously vanished from all of Soul Society. No one knew where he was.

"Rangiku, did you hear about the 6th Division?" 3rd Division Lieutenant Kira Izuru asked fellow Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto in her study. He had been forced to stay the night in the 10th Division Barracks after the snowstorm hit southeastern Seireitei.

"Who hasn't?" Rangiku replied groggily as she got up from her rest on the couch. Without Hitsugaya around to do the paperwork, she had been forced to take care of the 10th Division's paperwork, much like Kira had to when Gin Ichimaru betrayed Soul Society. "That news is probably the biggest thing since Captain Hitsugaya's disappearance! Captain Kuchiki is supposedly already at the 1st Division Barracks, talking to Captain-Commander Yamamoto about it."

"Yeah, I heard." Kira replied, his tone audibly emitting worry. "The 13 Court Guard Divisions are already down a Captain and an entire division, excluding their Captain. At the rate we're going, the 13 Court Guard Divisions will be done in another few years."

"Don't sweat it. Captain Hitsugaya is tough, and so is Captain Kuchiki! They'll both be alright." Rangiku reassured Kira. Kira simply stood there, undoubtedly perplexed by the situation at hand. After a few moments of Kira simply standing there, 5th Division Lieutenant Momo Hinamori burst in through the doors.

"Captain Kuchiki is gone!" Momo abruptly shattered the silence, panting and breathing heavily.

"What? Impossible! Are you sure?" Kira asked, incredibly shocked at this revelation.

"I'm sure! Isane sent me a message from Captain-Commander Yamamoto, asking me to check on the 6th Division Barracks to see what was taking Captain Kuchiki so long! When I got there, his study was completely demolished, and he was nowhere to be found!" Momo confirmed to Kira and Rangiku.

"But Momo, how did you get here? The snowstorm is really racking up! And why didn't you go tell Captain-Commander Yamamoto?" Rangiku replied, apparently quite calm.

"I have a Fire-type Zanpakutō. I was able to melt through the snow. And I came here after I told Captain-Commander Yamamoto." Momo replied, her voice rather deflated at Rangiku's suspicion of her.

"Well then, we can't just sit around and let the 13 Court Guard Divisions fall! We have to find Captain Hitsugaya and Captain Kuchiki! Momo, you can get us out of this snowstorm, right?" Rangiku plotted.

"But Rangiku, Captain-Commander Yamamoto doesn't want us leaving Seireitei right now. With two captains gone and a whole division missing, we're effectively in a state of emergency." Kira pointed out, his voice overcome with worry.

"But Kira, what about Shirō-chan! We can't just leave him! Will he be alright?" Momo asked, the real reason she had come now evident.

"Momo…you want to rescue Captain Hitsugaya, right?" Rangiku asked, ascertaining her assumptions to be true.

"Mm. I thought you guys could help me, you know, rescue him?" Momo asked rather awkwardly, her face blushing.

"Well of course we'll help you!" Rangiku volunteered Kira with her. "You think we'll let a silly snowstorm stand in the way of true love?" Rangiku chuckled.

"Rangiku!" Momo squealed, her face now a deep shade of red.

"I guess I'm coming as well then." Kira added, his voice considerably more depressed than before.

"Eh? Kira, what's the matter?" Rangiku asked quite bluntly, to which Kira simply blushed.

"So, Rangiku, do you have an idea where we can start looking for Shirō-chan and Captain Kuchiki?" Momo inquired, distinctly clueless about what to do next.

"Eh? Well, I was thinking that we should go to the 1st District of Rukongai." Matsumoto proposed.

"You think Captain Hitsugaya abandoned us to go to Rukongai?" Kira shot down her seemingly absurd idea, his voice becoming surlier by the second.

"No, but I think something happened to him there. He told me before he left a year ago that he was going to go back to Rukongai, and I can't think of any other districts he would go to." Matsumoto fought back, completely oblivious to Kira's rather obvious predicament.

"I agree with Rangiku, Kira. Shirō-chan may have gone back to Rukongai to revisit his childhood memories." Momo pointed out apprehensively.

"Well then…if you think so, then we'll go to the 1st District of Rukongai." Kira finally agreed, and the three of them Shunpo'ed away in a flash.


	3. Deep Purple Rage

_Author's Note:_ The next few chapters are probably going to be rather short, so please bear with me. Thank you if you have actually read up to the third chapter. Also, once again, please excuse any grammar mistakes, I have proofread this chapter and attempted to fix up any mistakes. Also, please excuse any other mistakes you may find. I appreciate any comments. Thank you so much for reading this! Please enjoy!

"So, Lieutenants Kira Izuru, Momo Hinamori, and Rangiku Matsumoto are all gone?" Captain Suì-Fēng confirmed with 2nd Division Lieutenant Marechiyo Ōmaeda deep within the hallways of the 2nd Division Barracks.

"Yes, now what do we do! Captain-Commander Yamamoto will be furious if he finds out that on top of losing two captains, a lieutenant, and a division, we lost three more lieutenants!" Marechiyo appealed to his captain, his whole body sweating profusely at the thought of the Captain-Commander's rage.

"Calm down Ōmaeda, you foolish baboon. I shall take this to the Captain-Commander myself. You wait here." Suì-Fēng commanded, and Shunpo'ed away without further ado.

*break*

"Captain Suì-Fēng! You're back!" Marechiyo gaped as Suì-Fēng returned from her meeting with the Captain-Commander, palpably amazed that she had made it back alive.

"What did you expect?" Suì-Fēng challenged, raising her eyebrows and eyeing Suzumebachi.

"Nothing, Captain!" Marechiyo replied almost too quickly.

"Good." Suì-Fēng remarked, taking her hand off the hilt of her blade. "I have something for you." She continued, swinging her arm in a wide arc in the air, releasing a H- Butterfly, which emitted the voice of Captain-Commander Yamamoto.

"There will be a mandatory Captain and Lieutenant meeting today shortly. Please come to Sōkyoku Hill immediately upon receiving this message." Yamamoto's voice rang out.

"Eh? We should get going then!" Marechiyo immediately spoke up.

"Very well then." Suì-Fēng agreed, and the 2nd Division Pair vanished without another word.

*break*

"You have been called here today to discuss an imminent threat to the existence of the 13 Court Guard Divisions." Captain-Commander Yamamoto opened the discussion atop Sōkyoku Hill. "As you may already know, 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, as well as the rest of his division including Lieutenant Renji Abarai have all disappeared. 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya is nowhere to be found as well. Now three lieutenants, Kira Izuru, Momo Hinamori, and Rangiku Matsumoto have also disappeared. Though they may each have disappeared for individual, separate reasons, I cannot have any of you leaving. Therefore, you may not leave Seireitei under any circumstances other than direct order from myself." Yamamoto imposed onto the Captains and their Lieutenants.

"Yama-jii, don't you think we should go find them?" 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku proposed. "Perhaps if we don't do anything, we won't sustain any other major hits, but we may well never recover!"

"Silence, Captain Kyōraku. I have considered such a thought, but the 13 Court Guard Squads cannot afford another hit." Yamamoto silenced Shunsui's thought.

"With all due respect, Captain-Commander Yamamoto, even though the 13 Court Guard Squads cannot afford another hit, we also cannot afford to stay like this forever!" 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake pointed out.

"Enough! This matter is closed. I would like to see you two in my office afterwards." Yamamoto scolded, then Shunpo'ed away. Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake Shunpo'ed away shortly afterwards, leaving the rest of the captains and lieutenants congregated together on top of Sōkyoku Hill, albeit quite awkwardly. After awhile, one by one, the rest of the captains and lieutenants Shunpo'ed away, leaving just Suì-Fēng and Marechiyo Ōmaeda.

"Captain! Shouldn't we be going?" Marechiyo suggested, his voice abounding with agitation.

"You go, Ōmaeda. Head back to the barracks." Suì-Fēng turned him down.

"Wait, Captain-Commander Yamamoto said not to – hey!" Marechiyo blurted out as Suì-Fēng Shunpo'ed away without waiting for his reply. "Captain!"


	4. Voice of the Pure Poppy

_Author's Note: _Super short chapter here, rather choppy too. Sorry! I promise I'll try to make a longer chapter next time! Sorry if the latest chapters have kind of been looking really awful, I'll try not to use as many breaks in the future. Also, I'm probably going to say this every time, but please excuse any grammar mistakes, I have proofread this chapter and attempted to fix up any mistakes. Also, please excuse any other mistakes you may find. I appreciate any comments. Thank you so much for reading this! Please enjoy!

The Editorial Department of the Seireitei Communication in the 9th Division Barracks was in a state of complete turmoil after the emergency Captain meeting on Sōkyoku Hill.

"Captain-Commander Yamamoto wants us to do WHAT?" 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi blurted out in his editor's office.

"He wants you to publish an article about the Captain meeting in this month's Seireitei Communication, sir. He would also like you to set a guard patrol and tighten the security around the walls of Seireitei. He says that the immediate capture of the person behind the latest happenings in Seireitei would be most helpful. My greatest apologies if I interrupted you." Ishinōe Sannen, head of design and layout reported to the Editor-in-Chief.

"No, no, it's fine." Shūhei waved his apologies down. "You're dismissed."

"Thank you, Lieutenant Hisagi." Ishinōe hurried out of the room with his head bowed down, as Shūhei frantically dashed about the room.

"Wait, Ishinōe! Please bring in Hiroyuki Ishishiro." Shūhei requested as he continued his mad dash around the room.

"Of course, Lieutenant Hisagi." Ishinōe bowed as he exited the room.

"Now then, where's my pen?" Shūhei asked himself.

*break*

"Editor-in-Chief Lieutenant Hisagi! You called for me?" Hiroyuki Ishishiro spieled off breathlessly as he entered the room.

"Just in time, Hiroyuki!" Shūhei exclaimed frenziedly, settling Hiroyuki into a chair. "I need you to write an article for me. I already set out some guidelines for you and the content you need to include in it, so just write it out and that would be great! I wish I could stay and do it myself, but I have to run!" Shūhei took off into the hallway at incredible speed, leaving Hiroyuki in the Editor-in-Chief's office to finish the article.

*break*

"You're to slowly patrol the walls of Seireitei, and under no circumstances other than direct order from the Captain-Commander or myself are you to let anyone in or out! Now get together into squads of ten Shinigami, and get moving!" Shūhei administrated in the 9th Division Barracks Auditorium.

"Yes sir!" The Shinigami of the 9th Division roared back, before grouping up and slowly leaving the auditorium in groups of ten.

"Captain-Commander Yamamoto…" Shūhei muttered to himself. "As head of the 9th Division, I will make sure Seireitei remains safe!"


	5. Assemble! Snowdrop and Strelitzia

_Author's Note: _Ah, how I've failed at the art of making things look aesthetically pleasing on . Oh well. I decided that I am going to say this every time: please excuse any grammar mistakes, I have proofread this chapter and attempted to fix up any mistakes. Also, please excuse any other mistakes you may find. I appreciate any comments. Thank you so much for reading this! Please enjoy!

"Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake. You two were always incredibly bright and miles ahead of the game. As such, you both bring up valid points." Yamamoto acknowledged. "However, we cannot afford not having two captains in such a situation as this. I will allow you each to select two Shinigami, for a total of four Shinigami to become a rescue team. Neither of you, or any captains may be on this team."

"Of course, Yama-jii. Thank you." Kyōraku thanked Yamamoto. Ukitake and Kyōraku both bowed, before Shunpo'ing away.

*break*

"Nanao-chan!" Kyōraku called into 8th Division Lieutenant Nanao Ise's office, not daring open the door all the way while Ise was working.

"Mm?" Ise replied indifferently, not lifting her eyes up from her paperwork.

"Would you be interested in joining a rescue team to go find the missing Captains and Lieutenants? I think you're well suited for the job." Kyōraku attempted to sweet-talk Ise into doing the job.

"No." Ise refused his offer rather abruptly, and promptly got out of her chair and shut the door in his face.

"Eh? Nanao-chan! Please?" Kyōraku pleaded, pushing the door back open and putting on his best "sad-puppy" face.

"Why don't you just do it?" Ise inquired, undoubtedly annoyed at her Captain.

"I would, Nanao-chan, but Old Man Yama-jii doesn't want any Captains leaving Seireitei. Please? As a favor for your Captain?" Kyōraku begged.

"Fine! If it really means that much to you, I'll do it." Ise exclaimed, her face red with annoyance and a slight hint of anger.

"Thanks, Nanao-chan! I knew I could count on you!" Kyōraku's voice instantly brightened up. "You'll be working with 7th Division Lieutenant Tetsuzaemon Iba. He'll be waiting for you near the 4th Division Barracks in about an hour. Bye then, Nanao-chan!" Kyōraku Shunpo'ed away before Nanao could refuse.

"WAIT, KYŌRAKU!" Ise screamed at his fast fading figure. "COME BACK HERE! I'M NOT WORKING WITH THAT TOTAL BABOON IBA!"

"But you agreed!" Kyōraku squealed back in delight like a child as he bolted away from Nanao, who had picked up a heavy-looking book and had a murderous look in her eye.

*break*

It was raining outside the 13th Division Barracks. As Captain and Lieutenant slowly meandered around the koi fish pond, not a sound was to be heard except the gentle tapping as the two's shoes hit the ground and the splatter of rain as it hit the ground, the air too warm in the North of Seireitei for the aspiring snowflakes to become real snow.

"Rukia, I want to ask you for a favor." Ukitake asked Rukia as they came to a stop together in front of the 13th Division koi fish pond.

"What is it?" Rukia replied, her gaze following one particular koi fish.

"I would like for you to join a rescue team to find the missing Captains and Lieutenants. As the 13th Division Lieutenant, I think it would not only be helpful to Soul Society but it would be good training." Ukitake advertised. "What do you say, Rukia?"

"I promised myself that I would save Renji and Nii-sama. I won't back down now that a perfect opportunity has come up." Rukia accepted.

"Thank you, Rukia. I've also invited 4th Division Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu to work with you. You'll meet up with the rest of the team near the 4th Division Barracks in about an hour." Ukitake continued.

"Sure thing, Captain Ukitake. I'll go get ready then." Rukia dismissed herself, leaving Ukitake standing by himself, alone in the rain, wondering how exactly all the koi got there.

"Ukitake! You look lonely." Kyōraku noticed, appearing beside Ukitake.

"I see you are as quick as ever, Kyōraku." Ukitake commended him. "How did you convince Nanao to join the squad with Iba?" Ukitake pondered. "After all, the two have been rivals in their Shinigami Associations from the start."

"I…well…that is to say that…" Kyōraku mumbled out incoherently.

"Ah, Kyōraku. I expected nothing more from you and Nanao." Ukitake chuckled, patting Kyōraku on his back.

"So, Ukitake! Who'd you select for the team?" Kyōraku pondered, wondering how exactly Ukitake selected Shinigami.

"I selected Isane Kotetsu and Rukia Kuchiki, my division's lieutenant. I think having a 4th Division Shinigami on the squad could be quite practical." Ukitake explained.

"Ah, a wise decision, Ukitake. I knew I could count on you to make sure this worked out!" Kyōraku laughed playfully, seemingly unconcerned with the matter.

"You're decision wasn't too bad either, Kyōraku. Perhaps Ise and Iba will finally get along." Ukitake thought happily, thinking about how much the Shinigami Men's Association would benefit.

"Only in a perfect world." Kyōraku commented on his conjecture. "And quite unfortunately, we do not live in one."

"Just hope for the best." Ukitake replied.


	6. The Pasque Strikes!

_Author's Note: _I didn't use any breaks in this chapter, so hopefully it'll look better. And thank you so much if you've stuck with me up to the 6th Chapter (albeit, they were all uploaded in the time-span of a few hours)!

_General Note: _ Please excuse any grammar mistakes, I have proofread this chapter and attempted to fix up any mistakes. Also, please excuse any other mistakes you may find. I appreciate any comments. Thank you so much for reading this! Please enjoy!

"Lieutenant Hisagi! Captain Komamura sent you an urgent message concerning the safety of Seireitei!" Sannen burst into the Editor-in-Chief's office carrying a large stack of books.

"Well, what is it?" Hisagi replied, returning to his work, impassive to anything Sannen had just said.

"Ah, right!" Sannen laughed anxiously. "There's been a breach in security near the West Gate! Captain Komamura is there investigating, but he requests you come immediately. They found ten 9th Division members all dead, tossed into an abandoned building nearby. The bodies look at least a few days old. What do we do?"

"What?" Hisagi demanded, his tone changing dramatically from one of apathy to distress. "I only initiated the enforced guard squads a few days ago!"

"Then I guess they were killed shortly after they arrived there." Sannen concluded, nervously inching out of the room.  
>"How did nobody notice? Sannen, stay here and finish editing the article that Yamamoto commissioned, I need to go check out the scene!" Hisagi commanded, then took off towards the West Gate.<p>

When he got there, it looked as if nothing was wrong. But something was.

"Captain Komamura! Where are the bodies?" Hisagi demanded, undeniably in a complete state of panic. "Captain-Commander Yamamoto will kill me!"

"Over there." Komamura gestured towards the 4th Division Shinigami, who were crowded around ten stretchers.

"We need to thoroughly check through Seireitei now if we want to find the imposter! This could be the end of Soul Society if there another enemy comes right now in such a state of affair!" Hisagi ranted on, pacing back and forth between Komamura and the 4th Division Shinigami.

"Lieutenant Hisagi. I don't think someone got in, rather, someone got out. These Shinigami look like they got assassinated. Coincidentally, the leader of the Onmitsukidō, Suì-Fēng is missing. Surely there is a connection between these two events." Komamura suggested, stopping Hisagi in his tracks.

"Of course!" Hisagi agreed. "As the leader of the Onmitsukidō, she could easily assassinate the Shinigami, hide them away, and still operate in complete secrecy! Still, why would she escape like that? That seems like a foolish move to me."

"And I as well, Lieutenant Hisagi." Komamura concurred. "However, where her destination might be is perhaps even more puzzling. I doubt she has any interest in finding the missing captains and lieutenants."

"What scares me most is the power of the Onmitsukidō. If they could do so heinous a crime without hesitation, and hide it away for several days, it scares me what they might do otherwise." Hisagi shuddered. "It scares me to think what would happen if the 13 Court Guard Squads was pitted against the Onmitsukidō."

"It would be the sure collapse of Soul Society." Komamura concluded. "I suggest we stop talking about things that are unlikely to ever happen though. I will go inform Captain-Commander Yamamoto. It wouldn't surprise me if he locks the rest of us captains and lieutenants up afterwards. I then recommend that you bury the bodies of your fallen men, while you can."

"Thanks, Captain Komamura." Hisagi bowed, and turned around to talk to the 4th Division Shinigami. "Excuse me, but could I see my men? I wish to bury them properly." Hisagi requested of the Shinigami.

"Ah, Lieutenant Hisagi." One of the 4th Division Shinigami answered. "You can see them, but you'll probably have to fight the 12th Division for the bodies."

"Eh…?" Hisagi replied, dumbfounded. "Well…"

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure Captain-Commander Yamamoto will let you have them after we register some information in. It's nothing severe, I assure you." The Shinigami explained to Hisagi.

"No problem." Hisagi granted, to which the 4th Division Shinigami all turned away from him again and continued their examination. "Captain Commander Yamamoto…" Hisagi continued, turning his gaze towards the 1st Division Barracks. "The 9th Division has failed you. And so I swear that I will stop Captain Suì-Fēng at all costs, on the honor of the 9th Division!"


	7. Daffodils and Watermelons

_Author's Note: _Another short chapter. I'm super sorry. It'll probably end up being short chapters for the beginning until I can really get the plot developing. Still, I hope you enjoy, any comments and reviews are highly appreciated.

_General Note: _Please excuse any grammar mistakes, I have proofread this chapter and attempted to fix up any mistakes. Also, please excuse any other mistakes you may find. I appreciate any comments. Thank you so much for reading this! Please enjoy!

"Rangiku, this place really brings back the memories." Hinamori sighed, standing on the porch of Tōshirō's old house. "I remember sitting here and eating watermelon under the moonlight with Shirō-chan. Those were some of the best days of my life."

"I haven't been here in forever. I still remember finding Captain Hitsugaya here. Who knew he'd end up being my Captain!" Matsumoto chuckled to herself, reminiscing about the old days, when the 10th Division was still captain-less.

"So, this is where you grew up, Hinamori?" Izuru inquired, feeling rather awkward with the two of them, who were gazing back into memory lane.

"Mm. I wonder if we could stay here for the night?" Hinamori suggested to her partners. "The sun's already setting, so we should probably find somewhere to stay. I wonder if Shirō-chan's grandmother is still here?"

"I guess. Maybe we'll find some lead to where Captain Hitsugaya may have gone. I'm in." Izuru consented.

"I'm fine with it. Like Kira said, we might be able to figure out where Hitsugaya went." Matsumoto gave her okay.

"Eh? Hinamori? Is that you?" Tōshirō's grandmother squinted towards the three Shinigami, to which all three of them suddenly pivoted on the heels all the way around.

"Hey! Long time no see!" Hinamori rushed forwards to help her with the groceries. "Rangiku, Kira, come and help!"

"Sure thing!" Izuru called back, and the two of them ran to help Hinamori.

"Hinamori, you came back? Why don't you come and stay here for dinner with your friends and we can have a nice conversation?" Tōshirō's grandmother offered, practically reading their minds.

"That would be great, thanks so much!" Hinamori accepted without further ado.

"Ah, it's no problem. It's always nice to have you over, Hinamori. I think I have a Shoji set that you kids can play while I make dinner." Tōshirō's grandmother invited the three of them into her house.

*break*

"Granny, this okonomiyaki is delicious!" Matsumoto exclaimed, inhaling a good portion of it before Izuru even began eating.

"It's an old family recipe. I'm glad you like it." Tōshirō's grandmother bowed, choosing to eat her okonomiyaki slowly.

"So, Granny, how have you been?" Hinamori asked, making small talk.

"It's been rather lonely around here since Tōshirō left, but I'm very happy for him. How is he?" she questioned Hinamori, whose face promptly turned into a deep shade of red.

"Well, Granny, that's why we're here. He disappeared a year ago, and we're here to find him. We were wondering if we could stay the night here, maybe gather some intelligence on where he might have gone." Hinamori appealed to Tōshirō's grandmother.

"Of course you can. Who would I be to not let you?" she chuckled, though contrary to her tone, her countenance was quite saddened.

"Thank you so much, Granny." Hinamori, Matsumoto, and Izuru all thanked her in unison, undoubtedly grateful for her hospitality.

"As long as you find Tōshirō." Granny added, her tone teetering between one of humor and one of earnest.

"We promise." Hinamori guaranteed.


	8. The Lost Shores of Hyōrinmaru

_Author's Note:_ I finally got down to writing about Tōshirō. It's a rather short chapter, but I hope you like it!

_General Note: _Please excuse any grammar mistakes, I have proofread this chapter and attempted to fix up any mistakes. Also, please excuse any other mistakes you may find. I appreciate any comments. Thank you so much for reading this! Please enjoy!

"_Where…am I?_" Tōshirō speculated as his body slowly floated through an intense blizzard, completely free of his own control. "_What is this place?_"

It was a world of pure cold. The blizzard extended as far as the eye could see, not letting up one inch. Glaciers slowly drifted through the frozen plain, occasionally causing massive avalanches.

"_Hyōrinmaru! Are you there?_" Tōshirō willed him to appear, though the blizzard massively reduced his vision to the point that he couldn't make out anything, much less the glacier directly in front of him that his body's autopilot decided to neglect. "_Hyōrinmaru, is that you – ugh!_" Tōshirō gasped on contact with the glacier, which had begun to deteriorate rapidly upon the sudden impact.

"_Hyōrinmaru, are you–!" _Tōshirō called as the avalanche swallowed him up.

*break*

"What happened?" Tōshirō demanded of himself as he found himself washed up ashore on some island. "Where am I?" His Captain's haori was completely drenched, as were his inner garments.

"Was that…a dream? I was sure I could sense Hyōrinmaru's presence there…it's like the old dreams have come back." Tōshirō continued to command answers from himself, but to no avail.

"Hey, you're finally awake!" A little boy no older than seven ran down to the beach from the surrounding forest. "You've been just lying there for awhile now!"

"I have?" Tōshirō asked as he examined the boy. He was wearing ragged clothing, and he looked underfed. One of his front teeth was missing.

"Yeah! My friends and I found you here while we were playing a game of tag! We thought you were dead." The boy continued enthusiastically. "Maybe you can play with us now!"

"I would love to, but I'm on a mission. Perhaps you could tell me your name for the time being, and we can meet again?" Tōshirō suggested to the boy.

"I'm Seiji Shimizu! Who are you?" The boy asked, nearly jumping up and down with anticipation.

"I'm Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Captain of the 10th Division in the 13 Court Guard Squads. Nice to meet you." Tōshirō introduced himself to Seiji.

"The 13 Court Guard Squads? I've never heard of them? What do they do? Are you guys a singing group?" The boy inquired, obviously confused.

"_This boy…he's never heard of the 13 Court Guard Squads? Where exactly is this?_" Tōshirō thought to himself, nearly as confused as the boy was. "No, we are Shinigami, or Soul Reapers. We're like warriors, Seiji." Tōshirō told him aloud.

"Wow, how cool! Do you live around here?" Seiji continued to fire off questions.

"No, actually, I have no idea how I got here." Tōshirō admitted. "I just woke up here one day, and here I am!"

"Well if you don't have a place to stay, then come to our village! It's in the forest, but I'm sure you'll like it. In fact, why don't you have dinner with my family! Come with me!" The little boy obnoxiously dragged Tōshirō into the forest, leaving nothing but Tōshirō's footprints, washing away under the waves.


	9. Sendoff! The Bellflower Rescue Squad

_Author's Note:_ Sorry for all these short chapters, but I guess that's how it's going to be until the plot really gets rolling along. Until then, enjoy!

_General Note: _Please excuse any grammar mistakes, I have proofread this chapter and attempted to fix up any mistakes. Also, please excuse any other mistakes you may find. I appreciate any comments. Thank you so much for reading this! Please enjoy!

"I see everyone's here!" Ukitake commented as he arrived in front of the 4th Division Barracks. Standing in front of him were Lieutenants Isane Kotetsu of the 4th Division, Tetsuzaemon Iba of the 7th Division, Nanao Ise of the 8th Division, and Rukia Kuchiki of the 13th Division.

"So, when do we get started?" Rukia asked eagerly.

"As soon as I finish assigning all of you your mission, you can start. You, as you may already know, are tasked with the retrieval of Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, and Captain Suì-Fēng who has recently gone missing as well. You are also to recover Lieutenants Kira Izuru, Momo Hinamori, Renji Abarai, Rangiku Matsumoto, as well as the entire 6th Division." Ukitake commanded the team.

"Captain Ukitake? Where should we start looking for them? For all we know, they could be anywhere!" Nanao analyzed right off the bat.

"Well, as to that I have no idea. However, we do know that the suspects aren't anywhere in Seireitei, so you should probably look in Rukongai. As to where, or even what district, I'm as clueless as you." Ukitake reeled off his limited knowledge of the matter.

"But Captain Ukitake, it could take years, decades even to look through all of Rukongai!" Isane explained most apprehensively, clearly worried out of her mind.

"I'm aware. However, this is a risk we must take. I don't have much time left to send you off. Just remember, you must bring them back at all costs." Ukitake commanded the team. "Good luck!"

"Thank you, Captain Ukitake! Long live the Shinigami Men's Association!" Iba cheered as he fist-pumped the air.

"This is no laughing matter, Iba." Nanao scolded him, her condescending demeanor quite overwhelming. "But if I must say so…long live the Shinigami Women's Association!" Nanao fist-pumped the air, "coincidentally" hitting Iba square in the nose.

"Hypocrite." Iba muttered, wiping the blood off his nose with his sleeve. "I'll get you back for that."

"Alright everybody, Captain Kyōraku and I entrust the fate of the 13 Court Guard Squads to you. May the best of luck be with you. Remember what I said, you must bring that back at any cost!" Ukitake finished, then shook all their hands and Shunpo'ed away.

"So are you guys ready to go?" Isane asked, waiting for her teammates.

"Just one thing before we go, Isane. We have to have a team name!" Rukia added, effectively killing the mood Ukitake established.

"Erm…okay then. Let's each come up with one and we can take a vote!" Isane suggested.

"How about the Shinigami Men's Association Advocate Team!" Iba immediately proposed, ignoring Ise's murderous glare.

"How about the Shinigami Men's Association Hate Team!" Ise shot back, her voice full of absolute rage.

"How about the Bellflower Rescue Squad?" Isane recommended. "After all, we're in front of the 4th Division Barracks, and we are sort of rescuing people."

"I second that." Rukia promptly agreed.

"I'm fine with that as well, as opposed to any of the other options." Ise glared at Iba, to which he glared right back.

"Alright! The Bellflower Rescue Squad is moving out!" Rukia cheered, and the four Shinigami Shunpo'ed away in a flash.


	10. Death in Two Steps

_Author's Note: _As much as I try to make longer chapters, I just seem to be unable to. Well, I hope you're okay with reading short chapters like this! I'll try to make up for it by updating often.

_General Note: _Please excuse any grammar mistakes, I have proofread this chapter and attempted to fix up any mistakes. Also, please excuse any other mistakes you may find. I appreciate any comments. Thank you so much for reading this! Please enjoy!

"You say his headquarters are here, Tomomi?" Suì-Fēng interrogated a woman not much taller than herself, holding Suzumebachi to her throat. They were crouched down, hidden in thick shrubbery next to a huge cliff, where human influence on the cliff was only detectable through a set of doors, which looked much like the doors of a Senkaimon. Two guards stood on either side of the door.

"Yeah, here's the spot, Captain Suì-Fēng. Still, I don't know how you plan to get past the guards. After all, the guards are highly trained Shinigami." Tomomi whispered back.

"The guards shouldn't be a problem." Suì-Fēng brushed off Tomomi's cautions. "The problem is what to do afterwards. It won't be long before the guards change shifts, and that's when our cover will be blown. It would be far easier if I infiltrated the building by myself, Tomomi."

"No, Captain Suì-Fēng, I wish to come anyways. If it comes down to it, you may abandon me and save yourself." Tomomi demanded, her eyes full of determination, not wavering one bit under Suì-Fēng's stern gaze.

"Very well. But if you come, you must be prepared to throw your life away. I won't hesitate to kill you if you turn against me, or if you become dead weight. Anything that is not firmly planted in your beliefs is the enemy." Suì-Fēng warned Tomomi, but she seemed determined all the same.

"I can't risk anything going wrong on this mission. I'm going in, Captain Suì-Fēng." Tomomi explained, her voice brimming with conviction, leaving Suì-Fēng rather taken aback.

"I warned you." Suì-Fēng cautioned Tomomi for the final time. "Sting All Enemies to Death, Suzumebachi!" Suì-Fēng released Suzumebachi's Shikai before vanishing. A second later, both guards vanished into thin air, leaving only two hornet's crests in the air for a few seconds, before fading away. "Let's go, Tomomi." Tomomi seemed rather astonished, despite it being one of Suì-Fēng's favorite and possibly most famous moves, "Death in Two Steps".

"Eh? Right, coming!" Tomomi rose up from the bushes, albeit clumsily to the point that she tripped upon her rising as Suì-Fēng smashed open the doors with a well-placed kick.

"Hurry up, Tomomi. Time is of the essence!" Suì-Fēng commanded Tomomi as she stumbled towards the door.

"O-okay!" Tomomi stuttered as she ran towards the entrance. The hallway within was rather dark, lit up only by the occasional candle along the hallway. Suì-Fēng darted into the corridor at once, closely followed by Tomomi, though she seemed to have trouble keeping up with Suì-Fēng's incredible speed.

"This is an urgent matter, Tomomi! Hustle!" Suì-Fēng called back into the hallway, easily navigating the maze-like hallways even at her high speed.

"Captain Suì-Fēng! Don't worry about me! I'll catch up! Keep going!" Tomomi replied, her breathing heavy.

"Very well, To – Tomomi, turn around!" Suì-Fēng shrieked desperately at Tomomi, who had barely registered what Suì-Fēng had said before she felt a major impact from behind and everything went black.


	11. The Frozen Cave

_Author's Note:_ Finally, an update! This one was kind of rushed to just get one up, so excuse any unusual failure-ness or anything of that nature. My aunt and uncle were over last week, so it was kind of really busy, and now with all the back-to-school craze and all that summer work that I had to do, I couldn't really find time to do this! But that's all over. I'm going to try to establish a regular updating schedule for this next school year. I hope you enjoy, sorry for the short chapter, long notes, and especially the wait!

_General Note: _Please excuse any grammar mistakes, I have proofread this chapter and attempted to fix up any mistakes. Also, please excuse any other mistakes you may find. I appreciate any comments. Thank you so much for reading this! Please enjoy!

Chapter 11: The Frozen Cave

"So, did you guys find any new leads?" Izuru asked his partners over the breakfast table while Matsumoto was busy slurping up Granny's Miso Soup.

"Quite unfortunately, I haven't." Hinamori admitted, though her answer was slightly muffled by a strange distorted garble Matsumoto was attempting to communicate through a mouthful of soup.

"I haven't either." Matsumoto sighed out after she swallowed the soup. "What about you, Kira? Did you find anything work looking for?"

"It's the same as you guys. But if none of us have any leads, where should we go? It's not like we can search the whole 1st District of Rukongai, let alone all of Rukongai in its entirety!" Izuru exclaimed, pacing back and forth. "But we can't go back to Seireitei either until we have Captain Hitsugaya!"

"Then may I suggest that you visit the Frozen Cave? Tōshirō's grandmother advised the trio out of the blue. "Tōshirō often visited the cave when he was young, so perhaps he may have returned there after all these years. Maybe it meant something to him."

"Good thinking, Granny! But where exactly is this Frozen Cave?" Matsumoto agreed, though she seemed rather confused at the same time.

"It is beyond a small lake not to far west from here, a large cave struck into the mountainside. It is called the Frozen Cave simply because of the strange weather patterns there, causing it to be filled with ice year round. Tōshirō never liked the heat. Anyway, Hinamori-san knows where the lake is, Tōshirō-san has taken her there many times before." Granny chuckled, evidently happy for Hinamori's newfound (or re-found) love.

"I guess we're going to the Frozen Cave, then. We've got no other leads anyways." Izuru settled, seemingly fitting in very awkwardly into the situation, causing Matsumoto to slap him on the back.

"Ah, lighten up, Kira! We'll find Captain Hitsugaya and be on our way soon enough!" Matsumoto grinned, her mood incredibly positive after they finally found another lead.

"Thank you, Granny! We'll come back with Shirō-chan, we promise!" Hinamori promised again, and the threesome set out from Tōshirō's old house for the Frozen Cave. Upon arrival at the lake, Hinamori let out a reminiscent sigh.

"I remember the good-old days. It was before this Shinigami nonsense tore all of our lives up. Rukongai was simple and easy. Shirō-chan was so cute!" Hinamori recalled, remembering the old days where life was just a bucket full of delicious watermelon.

"Let's hurry and get Captain Hitsugaya back!" Matsumoto cheered, to which Izuru raised his fist in the air in an appreciative fist-pump. "After all, I can't take all this paperwork." She muttered afterwards, though a bit too loud which raised Izuru's eyebrows.

"I'm here because Soul Society can't go on without a captain. We have to save Captain Hitsugaya!" Izuru explained.

"It doesn't matter what the reason is, as long as we're here, saving Shirō-chan. He's always trying to save me, and now he's disappeared! I have to save him!" Hinamori swatted down the both of them. "For his grandmother, and for me!"


	12. The Fast Fading Image

_Author's Note:_ Finally, a somewhat longer chapter (Or at least a longer Author's Note)! Also, I might be starting a new fanfiction soon so look out for that! Sorry for the lack of explanation on the Frozen Cave, but I promise I will come back to it. Bear with me here. I've still been really busy, so these last chapters have been really rushed and such, but still please enjoy! I will try to update as frequently as possible. Thanks for sticking with me! I just noticed that a lot of my chapter titles seem to have "the" in them, so sorry if you find that overly repetitive.

_General Note: _Please excuse any grammar mistakes, I have proofread this chapter and attempted to fix up any mistakes. Also, please excuse any other mistakes you may find. I appreciate any comments. Thank you so much for reading this! Please enjoy!

"Why?" Tōshirō Hitsugaya cried out as his body crumpled and he fell down the cliff, Hyōrinmaru's blade firmly implanted within his chest. Seiji's screams could still be heard, even from the small beach that Hitsugaya had fallen on, hundreds of feet down. He panted harshly as he scooped sand into his hand, realizing that each fallen grain was his life, slowly slipping away from him. He shut his eyes, preparing for the end. Was this the end of all his talent, his prodigy?

Amidst the pain, Hitsugaya somehow managed to pull one last chuckle out of himself. This was not how he envisioned himself to die, on those rare occasions that he took the moment to brood over it. Death, even to the departed, was rather gloomy. But how did he expect to die? Bravely throwing himself over the blade to save a loved one? Alas, no, that was far too extravagant, especially for Hitsugaya.

Still, this was a saddening way for a great Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads to meet his final breath. Defeated by a simple boy with no more training than a commoner from Rukongai, and killed by your own Zanpakutō. At least Hinamori was alright. His efforts to save her had not gone in vain. She had, after all, outlived him, despite his youth.

Matsumoto would take care of the 10th Division, no doubt. Behind all that flamboyancy was a decent person, he was sure. But Seiji, the innocent boy he had found on the beach? Hitsugaya couldn't help but feel guilty. He had somehow dragged him into the matters of the Shinigami, something far from comprehensible to Seiji. And now he was paying the price for Hitsugaya's mistakes.

Hitsugaya could almost feel the tears welling up in his eyes. It was a shame, really. Perhaps if he had been given a second chance, he could've done better? Maybe he could've at least saved the boy. If anything, his life was full of regrets, and unfortunately, he would never have time to best them. His breathing slowly washed away, until there was nothing left for Hitsugaya but to close his eyes and wait for the end, and the light beyond the opening door.

"Shirō-chan! Are you alright?" Hinamori's voice struck back into Hitsugaya's consciousness.

"Hinamori? Is that you?" Hitsugaya mumbled out, groggily pulling himself into a sitting position. Standing around him were Kira Izuru, Momo Hinamori, and Rangiku Matsumoto.

"Shirō-chan! You're alright! We've been looking for you! You've been missing from Soul Society for a whole year!" Hinamori exclaimed, giving Hitsugaya a big bear hug.

"A whole year? But I never left Soul Society!" Hitsugaya protested, pushing Hinamori off of him. "I would never leave Soul Society for this! Where am I?"

"You don't recognize this place? It's the place where no flowers grow, the cave beyond the lake. Remember?" Hinamori attempted to jog Hitsugaya's memory.

"The…the Frozen Cave? Back in Rukongai? How did I get here?" Hitsugaya continued to pressure the trio of lieutenants.

"We were just about to ask the same of you, Captain Hitsugaya." Matsumoto answered. "We're completely clueless as to how you got here as well."

"I…I don't quite remember. I found myself on a small beach, near a small fishing village situated in a forest not far from the waterfront. None of the villagers had even heard of the 13 Court Guard Squads. I met a boy whose name was…was…" Hitsugaya recalled to the lieutenants.

"What? What was his name, Captain Hitsugaya?" Izuru pressed him.

"I…I don't remember. He invited me to stay at his house. One day, while he was playing on the edge of a cliff in a flower field, the boy's brother approached the both of us. He tried to kill his brother with my stolen Zanpakutō, which I had neglected to bring with me. Just as he was about to kill the boy, I blocked Hyōrinmaru's blade, but he then simply killed me instead, striking Hyōrinmaru into my chest and pushing me off the cliff. I thought…I thought I was dead." Hitsugaya finished, tears welling up once again in his eyes.

"I don't know…with all due respect, perhaps it was just a dream, Captain Hitsugaya." Izuru pointed out, seemingly unconvinced by his story.

"So what you're saying is I slept for a whole year?" Hitsugaya raised his eyebrows, unimpressed, but confused by the ordeal all the same.

"None of us know what's going on right now, Shirō-chan. Captain Kuchiki disappeared along with the rest of his division a few days ago. The important thing right now is that we have to get you back to Seireitei immediately!" Hinamori brushed off their argument. "Then we can figure everything out there."

"Hinamori's right. If we get back to Seireitei maybe someone can explain what's going on." Matsumoto agreed, offering her consent.

"I guess. At least it'll put some end to the mysterious happenings going on around Soul Society." Izuru admitted, turning to Hitsugaya. "What do you think?"

"I'm ready to go. As the 10th Division Captain, I'm going back for sure." Hitsugaya complied, and the newly completed quartet Shunpo'ed away from the Frozen Cave, their destination Seireitei.


	13. Pursue Hisashi! Byakuya Dies?

_Author's Note: _Sorry for the super-short, super-rushed chapters lately, I hope to get back into actually writing semi-decent stuff in a few weeks, I've just got a lot of stuff going on right now. Anyways, for the next year I hope to update at least once a week!

_General Note: _Please excuse any grammar mistakes, I have proofread this chapter and attempted to fix up any mistakes. Also, please excuse any other mistakes you may find. I appreciate any comments. Thank you so much for reading this! Please enjoy!

"You…" Byakuya gasped in shock as Hisashi Shimizu appeared behind him and stabbed his blade square through his heart. They were standing in a lush forest, in probably the only forest clearing for miles. Mt. Koifushi was visible if you tilted your head in exactly the right way and looked towards the sky.

"Goodbye, Byakuya Kuchiki. However, I will give you a small consolation prize now that you were the only one to figure me out." Hisashi chuckled to himself as he removed his sword from Byakuya's body.

"Is that so, Hisashi Shimizu?" Byakuya taunted Hisashi, appearing a few feet behind him, apparently uninjured, though lacking his haori.

"Impossible!" Hisashi exclaimed, glancing back to where he stabbed Byakuya, only to find an empty Captain's haori. "D- you!" Hisashi cursed, then removed his blade and lunged at Byakuya.

"Way of Binding #61, Six Rods Prison of Light!" Byakuya pointed with his index and middle finger at Shimizu, who was promptly struck by Byakuya's Bakudō and immobilized.

"What do you want from me, Byakuya Kuchiki?" Shimizu chuckled softly once more, obviously mocking Byakuya.

"You are arrogant always it seems, Hisashi Shimizu. However, no amount of arrogance can redeem you from this situation. After all, it was pure arrogance that led you to attempt to attack the 13 Court Guard Squads." Byakuya chuckled right back. "Now, tell me. Where is the rest of the 6th Division?"

"I was waiting for you to ask that, Byakuya Kuchiki. Renji! Are you ready to prove that you've surpassed your former Captain?" Shimizu summoned, ignoring Byakuya's scandalized expression. Renji Abarai, former Lieutenant of the 6th Division dropped out of one of the trees in response, unsheathing Zabimaru.

"I've been waiting, Captain Kuchiki. Enjoy that title while you can. You see, I have gathered 200 members of the 6th Division today to witness your death. You are a clever man, Byakuya Kuchiki. You know the three existing methods of becoming a captain. I'm sure you know what's going to happen next." Renji explained his plan, his expression smug.

"You really think that you can kill me off that easily, Renji Abarai? You have gotten stronger, but like I have told you before, the difference in our powers is like the difference between the heavens and the earth. I will sooner kill myself than be killed by the likes of you." Byakuya laughed at Renji.

"We'll see, won't we! Howl, Zabimaru!" Renji released his Shikai, lunging straight at Byakuya, his sword posed to hack off his neck in one blow.

"Way of Binding #39, Arc Shield!" Byakuya raised his hand in a blocking motion, and out spun a dull disk of condensed reiatsu, which completely halted Renji's strike. "Way of Destruction #58, Orchid Sky!" Byakuya continued his barricade, launching a huge spiral of wind from his Arc Shield, blowing Renji backwards into the forest.

"Is that all you got, Byakuya Kuchiki? Perhaps I overestimated you after all!" Renji swung out Zabimaru, which Byakuya quickly blocked with his own Zanpakutō.

"It seems that Shimizu has made you arrogant as well, Renji. Then I will have to show you your place! Scatter, Senbonzakura!" Byakuya released his own Shikai, scattering the thousand miniscule blades into the wind, the directing them straight at Renji. Renji laughed in return, Shunpo'ing to beside the frozen Shimizu. Senbonzakura struck both of them hard, shattering Byakuya's own Bakudō in the process.

"Thank you, Renji." Shimizu dismissed Renji, who had been severely injured in the process of breaking Byakuya's Bakudō. "Shatter the injustice, Kosenotsubasa!" Hisashi released his own Zanpakutō, deciding to enter the fray himself.

"Senbonzakura! Finish him!" Byakuya swung his hilt at Hisashi, and the thousand blades struck him down, engulfing his entire form. "It's finally over, Hisashi Shi–!" Byakuya abruptly stopped, Hisashi reappearing behind him and once again, stabbing him square through the heart.

"D- you, Shimizu…" Byakuya muttered, collapsing to the ground.


	14. Clash of the Lieutenants! Rukia VS Renji

_Author'__s Note:_ I think I will just update on the weekends, as it works out the best for my schedule. Thanks for everyone who added this story to their "Favorite Story" list or "Story Alert Subscription" list. I really appreciate you reading this, as well as any comments. Thanks, and enjoy!

_General Note:_ Please excuse any grammar mistakes, I have proofread this chapter and attempted to fix up any mistakes. Also, please excuse any other mistakes you may find. I appreciate any comments. Thank you so much for reading this! Please enjoy!

"Renji? Is that you?" Rukia called into the darkness. The Bellflower Rescue Team was standing in a clearing near Mt. Koifushi, one that not long ago was occupied by Byakuya Kuchiki. The full moon shone brightly on the clearing, the light bouncing of Sode no Shirayuki into the distance.

"Rukia! You found me!" Renji bounded out of the forest, approaching the rescue squad. "I thought no one would ever find me! How coincidental it would be you."

"I'm happy as well! We've been looking for you ever since Nii-sama vanished!" Rukia grabbed Renji and hugged him, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Rukia…I'm so happy you were the first to find me. You see, I'll get the pleasure of getting to kill you!" Renji roared, stabbing Rukia square through the stomach with Zabimaru.

"They got to you…too…" Rukia staggered backwards, her blood slowly dripping off Zabimaru. Silence filled the clearing as Rukia collapsed, as even the wind seemed to mourn her loss.

"D- you, Abarai!" Iba snapped, charging at Renji with his Zanpakutō poised to hack off Renji's neck. Renji dodged his slashes easily, chuckling all the same.

"Wait…Iba-san. This…this is my fight." Rukia cried out hoarsely, pulling herself up to standing position. "Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" Rukia turned her blade counter-clockwise, sending a rush of cold air to Renji, who continued to laugh.

"Rukia, in your current condition, straining yourself could prove fatal. Please let Iba fight now." Isane anxiously put her hand in front of Rukia, causing Rukia to take a swing at the Lieutenant's hand.

"I already told you…this is my fight. I got Renji…and Nii-sama involved in this. It's my duty…as the Lieutenant of the 13th Division…and as Renji's friend!" Rukia murmured, though her conviction was as strong as always.

"I was hoping you wouldn't have to die. However, anyone who gets in my way must be eliminated!" Renji placed his hand on his blade. "Howl, Zabimaru!" Renji extended his Shikai, swinging it around nonchalantly.

"Please forgive me, Renji! Tsugi no Mai, Hakuren!" Rukia quickly punctured the ground four times, seemingly overcoming her injuries for a brief moment as ice particles flowed out of the holes and swallowed up Abarai in a block of ice.

"Is he…dead?" Iba turned to Isane, asking what everyone was thinking at that exact moment.

"If I was dead, could I kill you?" Renji laughed sadistically, reappearing behind Iba, who was stabbed straight through the heart.

"Impossible…" Tetsuzaemon Iba stumbled for a moment, before succumbing to the pain and collapsing on the ground.

"Iba!" Ise cried out in shock, but was promptly cut down by Renji's whip-like Shikai, which spanned the distance between them in a matter of seconds, leaving her sprawled out of the ground.

"Stop it, Renji! Your enemy is me!" Rukia shouted out with the last remaining ounces of her strength. "Some no Mai, Tsukishiro!" Rukia struck again, a ring of light igniting near Renji's feet. He guiltlessly laughed, then Shunpo'ed away with relative ease, dodging the huge ice pillar that encased where Renji stood moments ago. He returned seconds later near the edge of the clearing with his Bankai equipped.

"Rukia…face the judgment of my Hihiō Zabimaru! If you won't back down, then I'll shatter your conviction and your Zanpakutō! Hikōtsu Taihō!" Renji unleashed a condensed burst of reiatsu from Zabimaru's mouth, engulfing the tired out Rukia, throwing her back against a tree and shattering Sode no Shirayuki.

"Abarai, stop, now!" Isane finally stepped into the fray, unleashing her own Zanpakutō. "Run, Itegumo!" Itegumo separated itself into three blades out of its one hilt, and then she charged Abarai, who easily blocked and knocked her back, advancing on Rukia.

"Rukia…I'll leave you alive for what we once had. Nothing more. Next time, if you are alive, I shall surely kill you." Renji turned away from Rukia, dismissing her to die on her own.

"Renji…perhaps something changed you. Because the Renji I knew would never fail to miss something this obvious." Rukia taunted at him, though barely conscious herself.

"Are you trying to beg for death, Rukia? Be grateful I left you alive, and flee. You have already been defeated." Renji dismissed her once again.

"Renji…please forgive me this one more time. San no Mai, Shirafune!" Rukia chanted, catching Renji's attention but he was too slow. Sode no Shirayuki recomposed itself out of ice particles, and struck Renji through the heart.

"Rukia…" Renji mumbled, and the two childhood friends collapsed together.


	15. For the Sake of Friendship

_Author's Note:_ Ah, another short chapter! It's just one of those weeks. Sorry! Another story may or may not come out soon, keep watch for that! Anyways, until next update! The general note is probably getting boring for some of you reading this, so leave a comment about it if you feel like it.

_General Note:_ Please excuse any grammar mistakes, I have proofread this chapter and attempted to fix up any mistakes. Also, please excuse any other mistakes you may find. I appreciate any comments. Thank you so much for reading this! Please enjoy!

"I find this situation highly ironic, don't you, Captain Suì-Fēng? After all, the Head of the Onmitsukidō being interrogated is not a sight seen often." Hisashi Shimizu ambled into the room, taking his time to casually walk around the room, facing everything but Suì-Fēng and Tomomi.

Suì-Fēng faced away from him as well, having learned from the very start that it was shameful for someone of her position in Soul Society to admit defeat, but she had to admit, her situation was grim. The room was obviously built for interrogation and possible murder, chains built into the walls and stations for armed guards at every exit. It would be a court room Soul Society would be proud to own.

Regrettably, Soul Society wasn't behind this one.

"Now then, Captain Suì-Fēng. Perhaps you would be interested in telling me your business here? Perhaps you would be willing to spill your inner secrets?" Shimizu toyed with her, though Suì-Fēng continued to stare at the ground. "I might even cut your gag for you." Shimizu laughed, and in one swift strike he sliced the gag he had formerly strung around her mouth, revealing dark red splotches on the fabric. Blood trickled down the side of Suì-Fēng's face, a wound on her upper cheek.

"I'll ask you again. Tell me how you found this place." Shimizu questioned her, dawdling around aimlessly. Suì-Fēng continued to stare at the ground. "Tell me now!" Shimizu's tone suddenly spiked, and in a second in Shunpo'ed directly to Suì-Fēng and slashed her haori in two, leaving Suì-Fēng coughing up blood from a huge wound on her torso.

"Stop it, please!" Tomomi burst out in tears, finally having chewed through her own gag. Shimizu stopped for a moment, though he denied Tomomi his attention, turning towards the ground.

"I don't recall letting you speak, Tomomi." He whispered softly, his tone carefully controlled, though Tomomi could hear every word as clearly as if he were yelling in her ear. "Way of Binding #4, Crawling Rope!" He suddenly turned on Tomomi, the golden thread wrapping around Tomomi's mouth, gagging her once again. "It appears you still haven't learned your lesson, coming crawling back here with just this pathetic excuse for a Captain expecting to somehow make everything right. Don't make me laugh." Shimizu spat at her.

"I don't know what you know about Tomomi, or what you guys had in the past." Suì-Fēng finally spoke up, her voice calm and steady, yet fierce and incisive. "However, what I do know is you're wrong. Tomomi isn't here to reconcile with you. You're beyond reconciliation. You're filthy scum worthy of nothing more than death. You aren't worth Tomomi's time here." She then turned to Tomomi, looking her for the first time directly in the eye.

"You told me you have a mission that you have to fulfill. Complete it now, for the sake of Soul Society! Complete it for the sake of our friendship! Way of Destruction #73, Twin-Wake Blue Firefall!" Suì-Fēng summoned, unleashing the entire destructive bulk of the spell from her hand, outstretched straight at Shimizu. The room was immediately engulfed in a blinding light, incinerating the chains formerly binding Suì-Fēng and Tomomi.

"I'm afraid I can't let you go through with this!" Shimizu roared over the confusion. "Shatter the injustice, Kosenotsubasa!" He unsheathed his sword quickly, sprinting towards Tomomi.

"I can't let that happen as well! Nigeki Kessatsu (Death in Two Steps)!" Suì-Fēng dashed towards Shimizu, her Shunpo outpacing his and landing several hits through both sides of his body. "Die, scum."

"You told me to die?" Shimizu reappeared several steps behind her, striking her through the chest. "I'm afraid that can't happen. Goodbye, Suì-Fēng." He pulled out his blade as she crumbled, the light fading in the room and in her heart.


	16. The Noble, the Ingenious, and the Insane

_Author's Note: _Next update! Comments are HIGHLY appreciated. Anyways, been kind of busy lately, so the next few chapters will probably be in a bit of a hurried fashion. Oh well. Like I've said in like the past five Author's Notes, I do have a new story coming out, it'll be a really short one chapter one, but it still needs some revisions. Until next time!

_General Note: _Please excuse any grammar mistakes, I have proofread this chapter and attempted to fix up any mistakes. Also, please excuse any other mistakes you may find. I appreciate any comments. Thank you so much for reading this! Please enjoy!

The moon was casting a silent glow over the lake where Hinamori, Izuru, and Matsumoto rested. Tōshirō could not fall asleep. The strangeness of the recent events in his life confused him as he lay around, thrashing around on the ground. Shimizu…he could've sworn he had heard that name elsewhere. But where?

"Having trouble sleeping, Tōshirō Hitsugaya?" A voice suddenly struck out of the night. Tōshirō leapt into the air, unsheathing Hyōrinmaru.

"Who's there?" He demanded of the air around him, turning around in circles, pointing his katana around aimlessly. "Show yourself!"

"I'd be more than happy to. I've waiting quite a long time for you." A tall figure emerged from the surrounding forest, his face shadowed by a dark traveling cloak. His hair was rather messy, though it had a sort of windblown sweep to them. Only his eyes were fully distinguishable – hazelnut brown, the stood out through the distance, looking straight into Tōshirō's white ones.

"Who are you? What business do you have here?" Tōshirō continued to question the man, taking a battle stance in the event of hostility.

"I am, as you are, a former Shinigami." The visitor began, drawing his own Zanpakutō as proof.

"Former?" Hitsugaya raised his eyebrows, raising Hyōrinmaru to his neck height. "What do you mean, former?"

"You abandoned Soul Society. As of now, there's been an executive order for your execution. Return, and you will be murdered." The man continued, basking in Tōshirō's surprised reaction.

"Why should I even trust you? Who are you?" Tōshirō narrowed his eyes, glaring at him. His heart rate had skyrocketed, and he was just about ready to kill him. He was clearly nothing but trouble.

"My name is Hisashi Shimizu, former Captain of the 7th Division." He finished, leaving Tōshirō speechless.

"Former Captain? Like h- I'll believe that! What do you want?" Tōshirō angrily charged at him, but he easily blocked with his own Zanpakutō.

"I am here to offer you something many would die to have. The destruction of Soul Society." His eyes met Tōshirō's, and for a few brief moments, Tōshirō felt momentarily dazed.

"Destruction…? I…I don't want the destruction of Soul Society!" Tōshirō snapped out of his momentarily blip quickly, pressing all the harder on his blade.

"Have you forgotten so quickly about the death of your friend, Kusaka? Have you forgotten so soon that Soul Society wants you dead?" He pressured Tōshirō again, causing him to shudder for a moment and stagger backwards.

"Soul Society…wants me dead?" Tōshirō fell into a daze again, though he snapped out of it just as easily. "I'll explain myself. Soul Society cannot lose another Captain so soon."

"Can they? Perhaps they have already found a replacement. After all, it's been a year already. Think about it. Return, and they will imprison anyone who returns with you if you do explain yourself, believing them to be your captors. Return to Soul Society, and be executed, or risk the imprisonment of Momo Hinamori." He whispered with a small chuckle, bewildering Tōshirō.

"Hinamori…imprisoned? Because of me?" He staggered back and forth again. "You jest." He dismissed the thought.

"You doubt me? Perhaps I should simply kill you and show you my ability as a Captain. Soul Soceity will now miss you." Hisashi whispered into Tōshirō's ear, before suddenly leaping at him and striking at him with his blade as to take his life. Hands shaking, Tōshirō parried off several strikes, but was easily defeated in his mentally unstable condition. Hisashi raised his blade to Tōshirō's throat.

"Your friends will probably wake soon. It's a shame they'll find you dead. You've been far more trouble than you're worth, Captain Hitsugaya." He waved his hand, and struck at Tōshirō, knocking Hyōrinmaru out of his hands and taking a stab at his heart. However, as quickly as the blade had started, it had stopped. A figure stood between Tōshirō and Hisashi, blocking the strike with his blade.

"Way of Binding #61, Six Rods Prison of Light." He chanted, and in the bright flashes of light, Tōshirō could almost make out the kensaikan, and the windflower silk scarf.

"Byakuya?" The other two Shinigami asked in unison.


	17. The Iris Conspiracy and its Lieutenant

_Author__'__s__Note:_Hey everybody. Sorry for the huge lack of updates in like I think three weeks now? Yeah, I've been really busy, but it's all better now. I hope you still have time to enjoy this chapter, and I'll try to get out some more chapters this weekend. Maybe. Oh yeah, I decided to get rid of the "General Note" bit, I mean, after all, this is the 17th Chapter. I think you know by now. Anyways, that'll be it. Enjoy!

"Byakuya Kuchiki…it appears you survived after all." Shimizu laughed, casually standing in the midst of Byakuya's Kidō. Seemingly disinterested, he turned his gaze to the band of sleeping Lieutenants who Tōshirō was traveling with.

"Silence, or I will have your head." Byakuya glared at him, holding Senbonzakura to his throat. A dry chuckle escaped Shimizu's mouth. "Nothing's funny here, Shimizu. Need I remind you you're in no position to be laughing."

"Am I?" Shimizu laughed all the same. "Kotsubaki, take them out." Jin'emon Kotsubaki emerged from the forest, along with two other hooded men who were carrying a severely weakened Rukia Kuchiki and Momo Hinamori. "Now, gentlemen, drop your swords or I will have them both killed."

Tōshirō seemed like he was stricken with a blade to the face. His eyes widened for a moment, before he dropped his blade to the ground. Byakuya followed suite and his blade clattered to the ground as well.

"I never thought you'd drop to that low of a level, especially for one who formerly prided himself on being called a Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads." Byakuya spat at Shimizu, who seemed amused. "And you, Kotsubaki! Perhaps you've gone insane as well?"

"Byakuya Kuchiki…you do not understand the times of my day, which were long before yours. You do not understand my true duties and alliances." Kotsubaki spoke in a low tone, frightening Hitsugaya.

"Who do you think you are, anyways?" Tōshirō immediately demanded, taking a few threatening steps forward.

"Ah, Tōshirō, Jin'emon, my apologies for not introducing you." Shimizu butted in, a small grin on his face as he enjoyed the situation, regardless of his position. "Jin'emon, this is the new Captain of the 10th Division, Tōshirō Hitsugaya. Tōshirō, this is Jin'emon Kotsubaki, former Lieutenant of the 7th Division."

"I've heard that name before. The only Captain he ever served under is Love Aikawa, the former Captain who was Hollowfied by Aizen." Tōshirō said, shaking his head back and forth.

"Indeed the records of Soul Society would say that. After all, my records were completely erased from Soul Society, or at least so Captain-Commander Yamamoto believed. The records would simply say that he served as acting Captain until Love Aikawa came along. However, his loyalty never shifted, as it was always with me. Byakuya Kuchiki, the 28th Head of the Kuchiki Household, was probably the only person who would know where the records were and had access there." Shimizu explained as if to a child, his facial expression demeaning and cold.

"So there were surviving records, then?" Tōshirō pondered, turning to Byakuya for answers.

"Of course. Hisashi Shimizu served as a Captain for over a century, and was widely hailed as the most brilliant Shinigami around. He graduated from the Shinō Academy in less than a year, and became the Captain of the 7th Division when he was only a little older than you, Tōshirō." Byakuya explained further. "He is still regarded as one of the most brilliant Shinigami of all time, even today. Things were looking extremely well for him, a young Captain, full of ambition. Then everything went downhill."

"Correct, Byakuya. The 7th Division was involved in a scandal, a conspiracy of sorts that discredited all of us. I was wrongly accused of leading the conspiracy, and before long, I was constantly watched. I didn't mind, though. My allegiance was never truly to Soul Society, and before long, I had already planned a way to escape Soul Society. However, I knew I would need someone in Soul Society to send me news. I left Kotsubaki there to be my intelligence leech, and my name was forever erased from Soul Society history."

"So you fled, then?" Tōshirō asked him, and for the first time he caught a hint of sadness behind Shimizu's rough demeanor. "You abandoned Kotsubaki, a loyal subordinate, and went off to achieve your personal desires. You betrayed him."

"Betrayed? I wouldn't say betrayed. I would say more entrusted him with an important task. And that task was to–" Shimizu's eyes widened, and coughed before landing on the ground, Kotsubaki behind him.

"Kill you." Kotsubaki added to Shimizu's last thought, and then bolted into the forest, leaving Shimizu near dead in the clearing.


	18. Final Words

_Author__'__s__Note:_Super happy to finally get this chapter out. I didn't upload a chapter last week, so at the very least I want to get a short one out for now, because I've been really busy lately. (I'm always busy…) Anyways, I might change some titles of the chapters that annoy me. That's really all for now. 'Til next time.

"Impossible…" Shimizu coughed harshly, blood dripping down the side of his chin. "Kotsubaki…to think that it was you all along…"

"You hardly deserve a quick death, you worthless piece of trash." Byakuya spat at Shimizu, and glared at him. He recoiled back, grunting in pain. "A betrayal is nothing above you, former Captain of the 7th Division."

"You may call me a piece of worthless trash, but my efforts were always and completely for the greater good." Shimizu's breath suddenly worsened, and he started to cough and wheeze to a harsh extent. His fingers danced across the ground to his sword, but he was quickly approaching death, and it was obvious. His hand moved with an almost drunk fashion, moving awkwardly with a sense of oncoming doom. His thin fingers found their way around the hilt of his blade, and he smiled for a brief moment.

Byakuya and Tōshirō both drew their swords at him, and for the slightest moment, they both tensed as if expect him to rise up again to kill them.

"My Zanpakutō…its name is 'Kosenotsubasa' which means 'blade of justice'." Shimizu whispered to the two captains as his fingers carefully wrapped around the hilt. "Its power is derived from the very force of justice itself – that is to say, it achieves justice, my justice. I can use its power to bend reality to accomplish such justice."

Tōshirō's eyes remained narrowed, skeptical of what Shimizu was saying. Byakuya looked unperturbed, constantly glancing back into the forest where Kotsubaki had leapt off into the forest with Rukia. Neither had sheathed their blades.

"My goal was to kill Yamamoto. Byakuya Kuchiki…you have read the records deep in the Kuchiki family archives. I came from Rukongai, much like you, Tōshirō Hitsugaya. I saw the suffering of the people in Rukongai. I wanted to do something about it, but I couldn't." Shimizu gripped his blade tighter still, so much that the knuckles of his hand were turning white.

His eyes suddenly met contact with Tōshirō's, and for a few brief seconds Tōshirō felt that he could feel all of Shimizu's pain, his entire life flashing before his eyes. Now Shimizu was practically an empty shell, the life fading out of his eyes.

"I came to Seireitei, and from the moment I became Captain my utmost goal was to destroy the 13 Court Guard Squads, and let Rukongai villagers experience peace. Needless to say, I failed. However, even after I was forced out of Seireitei, I continued plotting in Seireitei. My brother, Seiji Shimizu, transported Tōshirō away in order to save him from certain doom. Perhaps seeing our past would be enough for you to pity us. It failed." Shimizu continued to explain, speaking quicker and quicker, trying to finish his story.

"Why would I pity you, who attempted to destroy Seireitei?" Tōshirō interjected angrily.

"It doesn't matter now. My plans to save Rukongai from its current state failed. This is unimportant. Kotsubaki…he must be stopped. I now realize that it was he who started the Iris Conspiracy to discredit me. Kotsubaki…I believe that he has served Aizen all this time. In all my ambition, I never realized he was hatching his own plan. After all, he was the one who nearly usurped the position of Captain after the Conspiracy. And now…now I believe his goal is to free Aizen. If he succeeds, Seireitei and Rukongai together shall perish forever." Shimizu breathed out his last words, and all was silent.


	19. Return to Seireitei

_Author__'__s__Note:_ So, I've actually been okay this week, not really too busy. I think I'll be pretty busy for the next week/couple weeks, so however that turns out is how it turns out. I'm actually in the middle of writing Chapter 20 though, so I might just write up some of the story this weekend and just back it up so I'll have something to upload even when I'm super busy…so…yea…short chapter but a pivotal point in the story…I'm actually also legitimately working on a Christmas Special…I want to make it really good so I'm starting now. I hope to release it a little before Christmas…cheers!

"He's like Tōsen…a man lost in search of justice." Byakuya closed Shimizu's eyelids. Perhaps now he could be sleeping. A long silence held in the clearing afterwards.

"We better get going." Byakuya finally broke the silence. "Kotsubaki will enter Seireitei soon. Thankfully, time is on our side. He'll have to either sneak in or launch an all-out attack, both of which could take serious planning. Either way, we'll still have to hurry." The two captains' eyes met for a second, and then they turned to Shimizu, then the sleeping bodies of Matsumoto and Izuru.

"Goodbye, Hisashi Shimizu, Captain of the 7th Division." Byakuya placed his hand on Shimizu's stopped heart, and after another prolonged silence, the two captains each grabbed one of the lieutenants, and Shunpo'ed away.

"Tomomi…you said that Hisashi Shimizu was not the one to blame. Neither was Seiji. Perhaps you knew something we foolish Captains didn't?" Suì-Fēng mused in the moonlight of the third district of Rukongai. Her wounds were slightly tended to with the bamboo stems of the forest surrounding the cliffs of Mt. Koifushi.

"Tomomi…if you can somehow hear my desperate pleas right now, I beg you to stop what you are doing. However, if you refuse to stop for the sake of your friends…then…I will come help you." Suì-Fēng concluded, and rushed towards the distant, but ever so welcoming lights of Seireitei.

"Quickly, wake up!" Isane nudged Nanao and Tetsuzaemon, who were all curled up in blankets cleverly woven by Isane, who had tended to all of their wounds. Renji was tied up by multiple Kidōs, tossed into the corner of their small campsite where their team was recuperating.

"What is it, Isane? It better be important! I don't like having my sleep interrupted." Tetsuzaemon complained, climbing up and reaching for his shades.

"Something just broke Abarai's brainwashing! Something big is going on right now…I can feel it in the air! Either way, with Abarai back to his normal self, albeit, quite worn out, we should really return to Seireitei. Captain Unohana is definitely more certified to nurse Abarai-kun back to health."

"Is Abarai even awake?" Nanao asked as she shook Renji back and forth in his bindings.

"I figured he might not be strong enough to make it all the way back to Seireitei, so I put him under a sleeping Kidō. Now quickly, we have to go. I have a gut feeling that Seireitei will be needing us…" Team Bellflower agreed, and together, they took off for Seireitei.

"Hisagi…your various troops of men who embarked on journeys to find Suì-Fēng have all failed. Are you ready to forsake the honor of the 9th Division so quickly?" Captain Komamura confronted Hisagi just outside the boundaries of Seireitei. The wind was blowing ever so sweetly, and the moonlight shone bright on them.

"Suì-Fēng…she escaped Seireitei a long time ago. I am close to losing hope…so many Captains and Lieutenants are gone. I have failed to do even the most menial of tasks. Worst of all, I feel a storm front approaching Seireitei…it feels close to solid reiatsu." Hisagi returned, unsure of his next move. Komamura patted him on the shoulder, his fur standing upright on his neck.

"Hisagi…we have both seen the feats of Soul Society. When this storm comes…I remain sure that Seireitei will rise to the challenge. After all, if we do not, Soul Society as we know it will soon come to an end." Komamura agreed, staring at the moon. Perhaps somewhere, off in the distance…someone was looking at it too.


	20. Real World Story

_Author__'__s__Note_: Short bonus chapter on Thursday. Yes, it's boring. Never fret, because I hope to release three chapters this weekend, since it sort of comes in a trilogy sort of thing. If I don't get to three, I might not release it. Either way, you'll see it as soon as I'm done writing and editing and all that good stuff. 'Til next time.

"Mr. Urahara! You called for me?" Ichigo Kurosaki slid open the doors to Urahara's shop. The place looked deserted. The candy was littered across the floor, and the scene looked quite similar to the aftermath of a hurricane.

"Ah, yes, Kurosaki-san!" Kisuke Urahara dropped skillfully out of the roof, and landed just barely on his feet. "Yes, I did call you here. I'm surprised you haven't come to me yet." He chuckled, leading Ichigo towards the back of his store.

"What do you mean? And what happened to your store?" Ichigo blatantly ignored everything he said and instead trudged along with his own questions. He nearly stepped on a half-chewed piece of gum.

"Ah, my store? You mean this?" Kisuke laughed, picking up a pile of candy and tossing it into Ichigo's face. It's no big deal, really. You can hardly even notice!"

"Excuse me? Look at this!" Ichigo replied indignantly, taking his own pile of candy and throwing it at Urahara, who sidestepped to the right, dodging the candy assault.

"That's just minor incidents, Kurosaki-san. Another story for another time. For now though we must get you to Soul Society. I can't believe you can't feel it. It's like a mass of solid reiatsu headed straight for the heart of Soul Society. All the Visored are already headed for Soul Society, if they're not already there by now." Urahara tone suddenly darkened.

"You can't just send them there without the 13 Court Guard Squads acknowledging them though!" Ichigo protested, but Urahara fanned him down quite literally. Urahara's fans had the same potency to injure as Ichigo's Zanpakutō.

"Of course I can! You can't forget who got you into Soul Society when you saved Rukia!" Urahara viciously slapped Ichigo across the face with his fans. With each hit, Ichigo's shout of pain grew louder and louder.

"Alright, I'll go! I suppose I don't really have a choice." Ichigo groaned. Just when he thought that Soul Society had finally resolved its problems. Ugh.


	21. Will to Live Part 1

_Author__'__s__Note_: What is good? Sorry it took me like ten years to finally release the so called "trilogy", but it took me forever to write out the third part, and then I had to edit and revise it and all that which took forever because it was so bad. So yeah. Right now the third part is probably still not the best I could've done, but I just couldn't think of a better way to write it. Maybe there'll be some sort of consolation chapter after this. 'Til next time.

Rain smothered Soul Society on the last day of peace. Yamamoto had tried to call all the Captains together in preparation for whatever was to come. Little did he know it was going to be war.

"All Captains are to report to the 1st Division Barracks immediately." H- Butterflies shot all around Seireitei, preaching the same message, over and over, as if a continuous echo had rang throughout Soul Society. Still, they were quite down for the count.

Head Captain Yamamoto, Captain Unohana, Captain Komamura, Captain Kyōraku, Captain Zaraki, Captain Kurotsuchi, and Captain Ukitake were the only ones attending. The rain hampered down on their spirits, leading their halfhearted discussion to collapse halfway through. Yamamoto dismissed them after a few short minutes, sending them to various key positions along the walls of Seireitei.

It happened when the fourth bell struck signaling noon. Suddenly, hoards of Shinigami flooded towards the walls of Seireitei. The walls were quickly reached, and soon to be overrun by the sheer number of enemy attackers.

"We're under attack!" Komamura roared from the top of Sōkyoku Hill, his voice reaching the far corners of Seireitei. The 13 Court Guard Divisions roared back, and in the blink of an eye, they were in war. The two Shinigami masses collided with such force that many of the buildings in Seireitei were reduced to rubble in seconds. In minutes, hundreds of Shinigami from both sides were dead.

"Where did all these Shinigami come from?" Kyōraku leapt off the top of the wall, nearly impaled through the heart by an enemy Shinigami. Ukitake hurtled forward to watch Kyōraku's back.

"I can't tell who's an enemy and who's an ally!" He yelped, deflecting hits at random, nearly slicing off the head of his 5th Seat. Thousands of Shinigami, quite a few he might have known personally, were charging full force and killing each other, separated only by their different beliefs. It was impossible to win.

"I'm afraid that's how they're going to win." Kyōraku replied, bounding backwards towards inner Seireitei. "We're afraid to kill our friends, our allies, whereas it appears that they are simply killing anyone and everyone. We're afraid of death, whereas it appears they are suicide fighters. We'll be pushed back towards Sōkyoku Hill in no time, and soon we'll all be dead. At this rate, we don't stand a chance."

"Then we need to retreat and regroup, and quickly, or!" Ukitake was cut off by a group of Shinigami, who forced him back into a corner. "D- it!" He cursed as he tried to fight off 4 blades with 2, but was easily overwhelmed. In moments, he had received near fatal cuts across his entire body.

Kyōraku rushed towards Ukitake, swords thrown in front of him, plowing through the Shinigami. "Bushōgoma!" Kyōraku shot at the Shinigami around Ukitake, who were trapped by the wind and thrown against the surrounding walls, which collapsed from the impact. Ukitake barely managed to dodge the hit himself by using his Zanpakutō to redirect part of the blast towards the ground.

"Thanks." Ukitake briefly mentioned, distracted by his wounds. "I owe you one."

"Thanks? I was too late. We have to get you to the 4th Division Barracks, and quickly. We can't afford to lose another Captain." Kyōraku demanded, grabbing Ukitake and Shunpo'ing away as fast as he could. The scenery vanished in seconds, heading rapidly towards the barracks.

"Kyōraku, I would love to head to the 4th Division Barracks, but I'm afraid they've already been overrun. Any healing done will have to be done personally." Ukitake placed his hand on Kyōraku's shoulder, advising him to stop now, but he kept going until he reached the 4th Division Barracks. He could almost hear the hope draining out of Kyōraku's body.

"This is bad. This is really bad. I'd say that most of the 4th Division is probably dead by now." Kyōraku estimated, looking at the barracks. Nearly half of the building had been reduced to rubble already, and the entire place was full of enemy Shinigami, destroying everything that was left with mighty Kidō blasts. Any 4th Division Shinigami that was alive had probably already fled, and was most likely caught up in the battle in Seireitei.

"It's terrible, isn't it?" Komamura approached Kyōraku, carrying Hisagi in his arms. Hisagi appeared to have taken several wounds to his chest and left arm. "The entire 4th Division. Decimated. We never anticipated to be flat out attacked here in Seireitei. With our healers all dead, we have no chance at recovery. Once we're wounded, we're essentially dead. In this condition, we've lost the war."

"We're not going to die like this, Komamura. Don't you worry." Ukitake whispered from the ground, his wounds already severely taxing his energy. "We're Captains of the 13 Court Guard Squads. I'll live to see the end of this war no matter what. Never lose hope, Komamura. He who has hope has everything."

"There's a difference between being optimistic and being flat-out outrageous. Look at Seireitei." Komomura gestured towards the ruins that were formerly Seireitei. "I'd say half of our forces are already dead, and we've lost most of our most proficient healers. Many of our top Shinigami are wounded or helping others who are wounded. We have no chance. Whoever's on the other side, whoever's leading the attack…well…we'll be lucky if they just take what they want and leave." Komamura knelt down on the ground, lowering himself to Ukitake's eye level. "We should surrender while we still have our honor."

"I already told you, I'm going down in a fight." Ukitake swatted Komamura's approaching hand away, and Shunpo'ed away towards the 4th Division Barracks. His battle cry carried so much force it could've gone on for miles. But it didn't. There was a sickening sound of a blade cutting through skin, and the cry stopped. For a moment, everything went silent.


	22. Will to Live Part 2

_Author__'__s__Note_: Enjoy, no rambling on this chapter.

Kenpachi Zaraki was having the time of his life. He charged through the crowd, plowing through friends and enemies alike, cutting everything in his sight down. Dead bodies surrounded him wherever he went, and more and more kept piling and piling on each other. Every one of the enemy Shinigami wanted a shot at the already infamous Captain before they died.

The entire Eleventh Division wasn't far behind. Waves of Eleventh Division Shinigami would suddenly completely wipe out an entire battalion of enemy Shinigami, because unlike the other divisions, who were worrying about the fate of Seireitei and things like that, they were just having a good time. Charging around, killing whoever they wanted to at their heart's content – one might say it to be the dream of barbarians.

It seemed that the Eleventh Division was the only thing keeping Seireitei under 13 Court Guard Squads control. At least, until the second wave of enemies came. Except this time, it wasn't Shinigami. It was Arrancar. They moved quickly, while still firing powerful Ceros all over Seireitei, trapping everything and everyone in the walls of Seireitei.

Even the Eleventh Division was at the mercy of their attacks.

Shouts of pain and cries for help could be heard all the way across Seireitei. There were no longer "ally Shinigami" and "enemy Shinigami". It was simply a hoard of Shinigami scrambling for their lives. The short battle was over between the masses. It was bloody, it was vicious, but at least it was over. In the span of a few hours, thousands of Shinigami were dead. Even so, the two armies, now fighting together as one, were barely able to hold the Arrancar off.

"We take on Arrancars all day and all night!" Ikkaku Madarame headed up a small battle squad of seated officers of the 11th Division. He thrust Hōzukimaru forward, and in one clean shot sliced off an Arrancar's head. "Come at me!" He continued to laugh, striking down Arrancar one by one, roaring at his opponents, daring even one to come up and face him.

"Come at me, I say! Bring on your best fighters!" Ikkaku taunted, slicing through the chest of a nearby Arrancar. "Come at me!" He ran around the square, striking everything in his path. It was like he was an invincible warrior, getting stronger still every time he cut down an enemy. But like all things invincible, the Arrancar were quick to try and find a way to defeat it.

"Ikkaku!" Yumichika cried out, and attempted to reach Ikkaku, but was too slow. A massive Cero blast demolished the walls around the battalion and in seconds reached Ikkaku. He spun backwards, just in time to see the blast before it blasted him full in the chest.

"Yumi–!" Ikkaku shouted, slashing Hōzukimaru at the blast, but it was futile. His eyes widened just enough to see Yumichika rushing towards him, reaching for his hand. His fingers almost made their way into Yumichika's, but he was too slow. Ikkaku's fingers fumbled along Yumichika's palm, and the two old friends silently said their goodbyes, realizing that this time may be the last time. Seconds later, Ikkaku was blasted away, only the sound of his last roar to be heard.

"Ikkaku…" Yumichika sighed, and that split-second of mourning cost him. Moments after Ikkaku vanished, the courtyard they were fighting in was suddenly surrounded by bright lights. "Ceros!" Yumichika cried, realized what was about to happen a second too late, and the entire courtyard, along with all its contents, were blasted off the face of Seireitei.


	23. Will to Live Part 3

_Author__'__s__Note:_ Please don't hate me just because this chapter isn't the greatest. Hopefully another one coming out soon. I'm so ready for Thanksgiving Break, it's crazy. Black Friday sales! Have a nice holiday!

"Captain Commander Yamamoto. I think it is in all of our best interests to retreat from Seireitei at once. We will soon be defeated." Retsu Unohana advised the Captain Commander. The 1st Division Barracks were lit only with fire, the ghostly light flickering with every vanishing reiatsu. She was sure that even he could feel it – Seireitei was soon to be no longer their territory. However, he remained silent. Even the violent explosions from the war did not disturb his meditation as he simply stood there.

At last, he turned to face her. "Captain Unohana…I understand your distress. You have lost much of your division, as many other divisions have also. We are lacking in Captains. You are quite well aware that the power of the 13 Court Guard Squads rests in the Captains. However, I anticipate that they will return shortly to help us." Yamamoto banged his staff on the ground, causing the fires burning on the wall to spike momentarily. His eyes were so full of power in the dim light that they almost looked demonic.

"Indeed, we have returned." Byakuya Kuchiki agreed from behind the both of them, alarming Unohana. There, behind the two Captains, was Byakuya Kuchiki, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Suì-Fēng, Rangiku Matsumoto, Renji Abarai, Kira Izuru, Nanao Ise, and Tetsuzaemon Iba. Holding Hisagi Shūhei was Sajin Komamura, and holding Jūshirō Ukitake was Shunsui Kyōraku.

"Captain Commander Yamamoto, Jin'emon Kotsubaki, the former Lieutenant during the Iris Conspiracy is returning to Soul Society to free Aizen." Byakuya explained their current situation. The room remained silent, every one of them seemingly holding their breath to hear some good news, but to no avail. It seemed the only news was condemning the 13 Court Guard Squads to certain doom. At last, the mysterious events of the past year were explained.

"We cannot risk Sōsuke Aizen escaping from us!" Yamamoto declared, drawing his blade from his staff. "It is our responsibility to make up for our mistakes! We will not let Aizen escape! Call together any strong warriors you can find, and meet me in the 1st Division Barracks in two hours. Captain Unohana, heal Lieutenant Hisagi and Captain Ukitake. Dismissed!" Yamamoto ordered, his Zanpakutō catching flames. At this, all of them Shunpo'ed away.

"It is your responsibility to defend Seireitei and defeat Jin'emon Kotsubaki!" Yamamoto commanded the mass of Shinigami that had congregated in the 1st Division Barracks, including all the Captains and Lieutenants as well as the Visored (including Kurosaki). "As of now, I have instructed all of the remnants of the 13 Court Guard Divisions to retreat deep into Seireitei, and so far we have managed to hold the inner ring of Seireitei as our own. Lieutenants! You will be charged with leading your divisions into battle!"

There was a loud roar of appreciation from the Lieutenants, who were often shadowed by their captains, and the room considerably cleared up after they Shunpo'ed away.

"Shinji Hirako, Hiroyi Sarugaki, Kensei Mugamura, Mashiro Kuna, Love Aikawa, Rōjurō Ōtorobashi, Hachigen Ushōda, and Lisa Yadōmaru! You eight will be tasked with defending the First Division Barracks as well as Sōkyoku Hill! If any opposing army troop is to take this area then we will be doomed to defeat! Dismissed!" Yamamoto assigned, though Shinji Hirako rolled his eyes. It was this sort of menial task that always got assigned to them. He sighed, and the Visored vanished as well.

"Captain Suì-Fēng and Yoruichi Shihōin! You two will lead the Onmitsukidō together to battle! Captain Kurotsuchi and Kisuke Urahara, you two salvage any data you want from your laboratories before it's destroyed, which I presume it will be before the morrow." He continued to assign jobs, though at this Suì-Fēng did a small jig as the duo Shunpo'ed away, whereas the Captains caught a brief glimpse of Mayuri having a stab at Urahara, whose swift reflexes saved his a-.

"Now, finally, my Captains. Captains Komamura, Kyōraku, and Ukitake, please escort Captain Unohana to Sōkyoku Hill, where you can help her set up a makeshift healing station. It is of vital importance that we heal our remaining Shinigami, and quickly. Make sure that area is protected at all times. Captain Zaraki, you will be in charge of protecting, and, if need be, destroying the portal to the Precipice World. If the invading army finds a way to the real world, then we will be doomed. Make sure no one reaches it. Captains Kuchiki and Hitsugaya, you must find Jin'emon Kotsubaki and kill him before he is able to reach Aizen. I doubt he will come directly into the battlefield until he is sure he has won. You must find and kill him before it comes to that point. As for you, Ichigo Kurosaki, wait here. I have an important job for you. I will soon enter the fray myself, but for now, you are all dismissed!" The Captains vanished, and the room was silent once more.


	24. Blossom of Destruction Part 1

_Author__'__s__Note:_ I was actually going to release this with the second part, but, I started working on another story and I figured I would just publish this now so I could let you guys know. So check out my other brand new story called "Disrupted Wind" if you haven't (which you haven't because I published this before that), and if you would, please leave a comment telling me what you think! Cheers! Happy Thanksgiving Break (if you're in America, which you probably are because this story is in English)!

Byakuya Kuchiki and Tōshirō Hitsugaya were the first ones out of the First Division Barracks. They leapt off Sōkyoku Hill where Komamura, Ukitake, and Kyōraku were stationed, and in moments there will out in the battlefield, scenery flying by as they rushed out of Seireitei, the invading army looking to extend on for miles, all hurtling forward for the sole purpose of destroying every last Shinigami.

"Look, it's some Shinigami! Capture them!" the two Captains heard someone roar in the crowd below, and it seemed every Arrancar's eyes in the entire army had turned upon them. They were gone and rushing away from the army still in seconds, but this time there as something coming after them. It was an Arrancar who must've been high ranking in Aizen's army, for his Sonído was as fast as their Shunpo. He was so quick that he appeared suddenly before the two Captains, nearly blasting them out of the sky with a Cero, had they not dive-bombed towards the ground.

They hit the ground and found themselves surrounded by two Arrancar, one who had concealed himself by hiding behind the other in an almost perfect parallel motion.

"Looks like we caught a couple fast ones." The taller of the two Arrancar commented to the other, who just laughed.

"Doesn't matter how fast they are as long as we kill 'em, right?" The short one laughed, a strong hearty one, and revealed a long blade, slightly longer than the average katana. He licked it with his tongue, licking off red stains that were probably the remnants of another Shinigami.

"I guess you're right. These ones do look powerful. It's probably in our best interests to eliminate them now." The tall one sighed, seeming to detest fighting, for he pulled out his Resurrección rather reluctantly, not embracing it with the same love, almost addiction that the other did. Still, a battle was a battle no matter how you looked at it.

Byakuya knew how Resurrección worked, but he had rarely seen it used as just a sword. It was the parallel of a Shinigami going into battle without activating their Shikai. The way he saw it, it was just a sign of overconfidence. The smug attitude of the tall one made him want to puke.

"It's a shame you had to come after us. Maybe if you had just let us go, you could've lived." Byakuya taunted at the Arrancar, and the short one took the bait hook line and sinker.

"Such arrogance disgusts me, foolish Shinigami. I normally reserve my power for someone who might actually offer me a fun battle, but I suppose I will make an exception so that I can wipe you of the face of the earth. Rage, Leōn!" His body immediately began to contort as his sword fused into his arm, and another blade sprouted from his other arm. His mask slowly expanded until his entire body was covered by the rock-hard material, and a large mane erupted from his hair. His teeth became more jagged and obtuse, and his eyes more slitted and wild. Suddenly, he roared and charged towards Byakuya, who narrowly avoiding being sliced in two by the blade. His transformation seemingly increased his leg power and general speed, allowing him to nearly take out Byakuya.

Byakuya appeared again behind the short Arrancar, though several steps back, and let out a chuckle. "The only act of arrogance I see here is thinking that you can challenge me with the mindset of a wild beast. However, if you must be as stubborn as a mule, I will most happily, show you the difference between our powers. Scatter, Senbonzakura!" He slashed his blade through the air, his katana dispersing into a thousand blades glimmering in the light, and they all flew straight at the Arrancar.

He would've been reduced to dust if the other one had not stepped in for him. His Sónido managed to outstrip Byakuya's blades and he threw his partner out of the way, narrowly avoiding being cut to pieces himself. He then grabbed his partner and escaped, reappearing a good hundred yards away from Byakuya.

"I advise you to turn back now, and leave with your lives. Otherwise I will be forced to kill you." Byakuya threatened, though the tall one shrugged it off. For a few moments, the tall one and Byakuya remained locked in eye contact, each reading each other's souls, scanning for a hint of regret. Neither found it, and the tall one finally said, "It appears that you have the same resolution to fight for a cause that we do. In that case, I will fight you with full earnest. Perhaps you would like to then hear my name so you may know who killed you?"

Byakuya recognized that theory at once from the Eleventh Division, but remained quiet. Instead, he agreed. "My name is Byakuya Kuchiki, Captain of the 6th Division, and my partner is Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Captain of the 10th Division. May you rest in peace knowing the blade that severed your soul."

"My name is Jasper Korenaga, and my partner is Daisuke Tsuruki. I never wanted to have to kill you. But I must, for the sake of my kind. When the Shinigami are finally defeated, us Arrancar will rule as the head of Soul Society!" Jasper lunged at Byakuya, easily outclassing the speed of his partner and catching Byakuya off guard, allowing him to land a strike across his heart.


	25. Blossom of Destruction Part 2

_Author__'__s__Note:_ Sorry you haven't heard from me in like 10 years, but life happens. Yeah. I hope you weren't expecting too much. So happy holidays and all, and happy New Year if I don't upload between now and then! Enjoy!

The field was silent for a few seconds, in which everything seemed to be suspended in time, the whole world holding its breath and offering its silence for Byakuya.

"It is over. Surrender yourself and I'll spare you." Jasper turned his attention immediately to Tōshirō, dismissed Byakuya to be dead. He advanced on Tōshirō, tossing Byakuya to the side, the blood on his blade slowly dripping, forming a blood-red trail leading from Byakuya's body to Tōshirō. "I'll give you five seconds to decide on your allegiance. Five…four…three…two…"

"Jasper!" Daisuke suddenly called out, interrupting the count, causing Jasper to turn around abruptly. Byakuya was Shunpo'ing faster than Daisuke could catch him with his Sónido, and Byakuya managed to get off a strike to Jasper's chest, and escaped just in time for Daisuke to hurtle into Jasper, causing the two to collide, impaling their blades on one another.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyōrinmaru!" Tōshirō leapt into the air, slashing his blade forward and a massive ice dragon shooting towards the two Arrancar, locked into combat with each other, and though both reeled backwards as quickly as they could, Jasper was too slow, and was caught in a small glacier. Daisuke barely made it out, his heightened abilities allowing him to escape just in time.

"Looks like the tables have turned." Tōshirō commented, advancing on Daisuke, who looked to be pinned down by a small chunk of the glacier that had fallen off. "I suggest you surrender, though I'm not sure I'll spare you." He added mercilessly, approaching Daisuke ever still.

"You think the tables have turned, arrogant Shinigami? I will show you proof of our predetermined victory!" Daisuke roared, and then let loose a blast of sound waves nothing short of an explosion. The ice imprisoning both Arrancar instantly shattered, and the two Shinigami were easily thrown several hundred yards backwards.

"B-!" Tōshirō cursed, plunging Hyōrinmaru into the ground to slow his backwards motion. At last, he came to a stop, only a few feet in front of Byakuya.

"That was a clever set-up, Shinigami." Jasper appeared suddenly in front of the duo, two huge wounds on each side of his chest from Daisuke's blades. "However, I told you we would not be easily defeated. I allowed Daisuke to escape so that he could use his Rugido Orgulloso ability to free us both. Your arrogance has cost you your lives. Now it is your turn to die." Jasper lunged at Byakuya, who blocked easily with his blade and leapt backwards. Jasper pursued Byakuya relentlessly, his blade poised to kill, but in several quick strikes Byakuya managed to gain the upper hand.

"Way of Binding #61, Six Rods Prison of Light!" Byakuya summoned, and Jasper was instantly struck by several beams of light in a star-like formation. Jasper struggled for a couple seconds, but stopped almost immediately after.

"You have powerful Kidō, Shinigami. But it pales in comparison to my own power." He smirked at Byakuya, who just laughed.

"You are quite confident, to be laughing at your captor. You should be grateful that you are even alive now! I will show you the error of your ways." Byakuya called back, raising his blade high and drawing it close to himself. "Scatter, Senbonzakura!" At once, his blade disintegrated into the air, millions of flower petals whirling through the air towards Jasper. Daisuke still stood and watched from afar, not daring take a step closer without watching Hitsugaya, who was about the same distance Daisuke was from the battlefield.

"Fly, Halcana!" Jasper cried out, reiatsu exploding and vaporizing Byakuya's Kidō. Byakuya's blades swept pass the formerly active Kidō, wiping away the remnants of the reiatsu.

"You are quite the cowardly scum, Arrancar. You have not even the nerve to face me in battle." Byakuya taunted at Jasper, his eyes flickering around, searching for the Arrancar.

"Over here, foolish Captain. You are spelling out your own demise." At once, Byakuya whirled around on his heels. Standing behind him on a cliff was Jasper, who had finally released his Zanpakutō. He didn't look to different, only large wings had sprung from his back like hawk's and his eyes appeared sharper. Large blades that looked quite similar to talons shot off the back of his hand, three claws that were about a quarter of the length of his arm. All his wounds had mysteriously vanished, leaving him completely refreshed.

"I will wipe cowardly scum like you from the face of the earth. You do not deserve to live. Perhaps you will fight me with your beliefs on the line. One on one, and the loser with surrender." Byakuya glared at Jasper, his eyes filled with hatred.

"Challenge accepted, Shinigami. Daisuke, don't interfere." Jasper turned to face his partner, who backed up several paces and lowered his blades.

"Hitsugaya, you too." Byakuya noted, and Tōshirō sheathed his blade. "Now then, Arrancar that calls yourself Jasper Korenaga…let us duel."


	26. Noble Blood

_Author's Note: _Good news amazing people who read my stories, I'm not dead! I could've sworn I already uploaded this, but I guess not. So I guess I just kept you waiting for no apparent reason. Sorry! Just one quick announcement: I broke my favorite mug yesterday. I know.

Jasper charged forward at Byakuya purposefully, his claws of sorts poised to strike and kill. Byakuya remained stationary, his eyes watching Jasper's movements quite carefully. Byakuya retracted his blade only seconds before Jasper would've tore him in two, and managed to block his attack.

"Your arrogance will cost you, Shinigami." Jasper said in a low tone, striking at Byakuya with his sets of talons. Byakuya's movements were barely quick enough to block each attack. Byakuya remained speechless, his eyes darting around, carefully examining each of Jasper's motions. After a quick succession of attacks, Jasper leapt backwards.

"I am the cowardly scum? Don't amuse me with such nonsense." Jasper laughed, a harsh mocking one. He licked one of the blades protruding out of his right hand, cutting his tongue and splattering his right talons with blood. "Prepare to witness the power of my master, Shinigami." He continued to laugh, raising his right arm to the sky. His talons began to glow with red energy, the blood evaporating in smoke. However, Byakuya remained still, his blade at his side.

"Your arrogance is beyond excessive, Shinigami. It seems that you will not understand the power I now display to you until I cut your body to bits." He continued to try and taunt Byakuya, but to no avail. At last, Byakuya turned to look Jasper in the eye.

"Do you not yet see, Arrancar, the fatal mistake you made?" Byakuya raised his blade and pulled it close. "I have no intention of witnessing the power you plan to destroy me with."

"Oh? And how do you plan to do that? Such a bold statement from someone in your position. I could easily rip you to shreds in seconds!" Jasper roared, his eyes wildly flitting back and forth, something like rage consuming his eyes. "Come fight me, foolish Shinigami, and I will show you your arrogance!" At that point, his eyes almost portrayed insanity. He lunged forward at Byakuya, hurtling at him with his claws ready to tear him into two.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura!" Byakuya's blade instantly split into a thousand minute pieces, completely surrounding Jasper, his talons barely visible through the mass onslaught of Byakuya's Zanpakutō. They swirled around Jasper, shooting in and then darting back out into the sphere of blades that was suppressing Jasper. His screams radiated for miles, leaving Daisuke looking quite fainthearted.

"Arrancar, surrender and I will spare your life." Byakuya glared at Jasper, opening up a small window in the sphere of blades surrounding him. Jasper was fatally wounded across his entire body, his wings nearly completely destroyed.

"Surrender? To the enemy? Don't make me laugh, Shinigami. If anything, your condescending pity will cost you your life." Jasper's claw shot through the small gap, reaching for Byakuya's chest. The blades closed in quickly, but not quickly enough. His claw struck Byakuya across his heart only moments before Jasper's arm was cut off.

Byakuya leapt backwards on impact, his hand covering his wound. Senbonzakura retracted, revealing Jasper sprawled out of the ground, the stub of his right arm bleeding up a lake. His eyes flitted back and forth between Byakuya's blade and the wound he inflicted, rapidly noticing the ample amounts of blood dripping through Byakuya's sleeve.

"Don't think you have won, Shinigami. Your world is under siege. One dead Arrancar will not change anything. The world belongs to us now. You…you said you were a Captain? I recall hearing that the strength of your pathetic Shinigami divisions is based solely off the strength of the Captains. If that is true, then your Shinigami divisions are doomed. You still do not understand the true strength of the Arrancar…you do not…" Jasper coughed violently, blood splashing out from his mouth. His eyes stopped moving, and he was dead.


	27. Silent Death

_Author's Note: _I'm not dead. Yeah. Serious case of writer's block among life's various troubles…so basically, same old, same old. Anyways, I hope you can enjoy just as much as you would if this came out, say, a month ago. Write a comment if you really like it…and well, write a comment even if you don't like it. Thanks for your support so far!

Complete silence took hold of the field as if the whole world was waiting with baited breath for Jasper to spring up again to continue fighting Byakuya. At last, Daisuke turned his back to the two Captains.

"You have won this battle, Shinigami. However, I will avenge my fellow Arrancar. Until then, enjoy the last remnants of your pathetic life." Daisuke fled, retracting his Resurreción as he ran. In seconds, he was gone, leaving Byakuya and Tōshirō standing in the field.

"Hitsugaya…we must hurry. We've lost quite a bit of time dealing with those two." Byakuya said urgently, gesturing for Tōshirō to go. Tōshirō nodded, and the two took off.

A beautiful cavern surrounded the two captains and stretched for what looked like miles. The tunnel they entered through lead back to civilization, while several other tunnels appeared to lead to small rooms and hallways, of other things. The large cavern seemed strangely hollow, like a bottle without its water.

"This was probably Kotsubaki's main headquarters before he launched his attack." Byakuya kneeled and placed his hand on the ground, feeling the somewhat damp ground of the cavern floor. "I wouldn't be surprised if this was the main hall."

"Even so, he's not here right now. There's no point waiting here. He's probably already long gone, and we better get going too." Tōshirō turned around to leave.

"Oh? Leaving so soon?" A voice rang across the huge cavern, echoing many times over. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that." A figure clad in a black haori leapt down from a small ledge above the exit, his hood flipping off as he hit the ground, revealing messy brown hair, and sky blue eyes that pierced like blades in the near-darkness of the cavern. Semi-tight black clothes with golden lines twisting through the fabric was barely visible beneath the haori, as well as a gold bracelet on his left arm.

"Who are you?" Tōshirō unsheathed his blade, holding it out in front of him. "And why are you here? You better not lie either!" He took several threatening steps towards the figure, but he didn't budge.

"Excuse my lack of manners, Captains." The young man took several mock bows, his hair waving slightly with each bow. "My name is Tatsuya Rin, and I suppose you could call me Jin'emon Kotsubaki's right hand man. I have been assigned to eliminate you on contact, and I do not plan to fail this mission. Perhaps you wish to take a nice survey of the land that now surrounds you? This land will serve as your resting place for all eternity!"

"Your blatant arrogance disgusts me. You have already noted us as Captains, yet you plan to defeat us both in combat? Such foolishness has not been heard of." Byakuya drew his blade as well.

"You doubt my ability to defeat you? It appears to me that you of the 13 Court Guard Squads are attempting the make a comeback against our massive army. However, it is futile. I will kill you here and send you back to the dust in which you were born!" Tatsuya charged Byakuya, moving nimbly across the field. He parried, and the two exchanged several quick blows.

"Way of Binding #61, Six Rods Prison of Light!" Byakuya leapt backwards and pushed off the wall, leaping around Tatsuya and blasting him with Kidō. Tatsuya dodged, practically dancing around the blasts of light, and with a single sword strike burst the spell into pieces.

"A weak Kidō like that will never surmount my power, Captain. Allow me to show you true power! Way of Destruction #91, Thousand-Hand Bright Heaven Culling-Sear!" Tatsuya raised his palm, enormous bullets of pure power forming a circle around him.

"Are you insane? A Kidō on that level with surely be the end of all of us in such a small arena!" Tōshirō called out, dashing towards Tatsuya, his blade pointed directly at him. Tatsuya merely laughed, swiping his hand through the air, directing the attack to Byakuya. In moments, a fiendish pink light had engulfed the whole cavern, and the sound of their screams could barely be heard as the cave collapsed.

When Tōshirō awoke, he found himself half-dead on top of a large pile of rocks that stretched as far as the eye could see. Byakuya was standing beside him, his haori lying dejected on the ground, completely red from the blood stains. It looked like he had been injured far worse than Tōshirō felt he had been.

"What happened?" Tōshirō couldn't help but ask. Hyōrinmaru was lying next to him, it's normally pristine silver blade dripping with blood. Byakuya remained silent for a moment, before launching into his own explanation.

"I don't find that as important as our current problem, Hitsugaya. You've been out for a few hours, and I'm not going to be defeating Kotsubaki anytime soon. Can you see the rubble that surrounds you? That's the remnants of Kotsubaki's base. Rin thinks we're dead, and he has good reason to!" Byakuya paced around Tōshirō, his voice growing steadily more impatient. Tōshirō couldn't help but get a sinking feeling in his stomach that rattled him to the bone.

"So then what do we do?" Tōshirō asked softly, avoiding eye contact with Byakuya. His normally serious tone had been replaced by a soft whisper, partially from fear and partially from pain.

"That's what I want to know." Byakuya sighed. "What do we do now?"


	28. The Beginning of the End

_Author's Note: _You haven't heard from me in a year! And so I bring you the next installment of the Song of the Whispering Flowers with a huge delay, although I hope you can enjoy it almost as much. Reading this week's Bleach chapter gave me huge inspiration for continuing this story! Thanks to Tite Kubo for everything, and enjoy!

All h- had broken loose on the battlefield. Kenpachi Zaraki was murdering left, right, and center, but even so, the battle wasn't going as well as Yamamoto had planned. Several higher level Arrancar were leading the weaker ones into organized raids to try and take the portal to the Precipice World for Kotsubaki, and, more importantly, Aizen.

Even though Kenpachi Zaraki found himself enjoying the exhilaration that was flooding his whole body, he felt strangely empty. Ikkaku and Yumichika were gone, possibly dead, lying out there somewhere in the countryside. Half of his division was surely dead by now. He couldn't help but feel sorry for those who had been killed as a result of the mass fighting. Then again, since when did he care about these things anyways? He shrugged it off as he continued to massacre whatever was around him.

Suì-Fēng was rushing along as fast as she could. Blood splattered everywhere as she desperately sprinted towards the sound of the scream. She arrived in a deserted courtyard, bodies scattered everywhere. In the middle of the carnage was Yoruichi Shihōin, lying on the ground on the brink of death. Suì-Fēng screamed, immediately darting towards her former captain to offer whatever aid she could.

"Yoruichi-sama!" Suì-Fēng rolled her over and checked her pulse. It didn't look good. She could tell that there was going to be no way of saving her, but she still had to try.

"You fool, Suì-Fēng…don't waste your time on me! There are still people…people who are not yet dead. Please…I beg you. Do me this one…one favor…please. I have to tell you something as well. The man who beat me…he was no normal adversary." Yoruichi gasped out, clutching herself in pain.

"Tell me his name! Tell me his name and I will avenge you!" Suì-Fēng demanded. Her eyes were full of a passion Yoruichi hadn't seen in awhile. She was happy it would be the last thing she saw.

"I don't want to put you in danger…I suppose I still think of you as my responsibility. However…now as I lie on my deathbed of dead bodies…I think I ought to let you take some responsibility yourself. His name…his name is Tatsuya Rin." Yoruichi breathed lightly, before she collapsed. Suì-Fēng stood there in shock as Yoruichi turned to face her one more time.

"Suì-Fēng…" Yoruichi sighed, and she fell dead.

"Mashiro! Mashiro! No, no, this can't be happening!" Kensei Mugamura cried, blasting all the oncoming enemy away from Sōkyoku Hill with the strongest burst of wind from his Zanpakutō the Visored had ever seen. The remaining Visored took over the battle, as Shinji directed them to leave the two of them alone. Mashiro Kuna was lying limp of the ground, her mouth barely moving.

"D-, Mashiro! Why?" Mugamura roared, as his sadness temporarily turned to anger. "D-!" He struck his Zanpakutō on the ground again, which again released a powerful roar of wind. Mashiro barely made out a smile.

"Sorry, Captain…I suppose I failed you after all. But…you…you need to watch out now. Now you won't have me…me to watch your back…sorry again, Captain." Mashiro chuckled, before letting herself breathe her last breath. The wound that had been inflicted across her torso was too much for her to bear, and she slipped away from reality as quickly as that.

Kensei Mugamura looked over Mashiro Kuna's body for a few seconds. There was his precious Lieutenant, who had gone through so much just for him. He sighed.

"D-, Kensei, look out!" Shinji Hirako suddenly blared out. Mugamura wheeled around, drawing his Zanpakutō, but he was too slow. He barely caught a glimpse of a black-and-gold whirl, before he felt the sickening sound of his own flesh being cut. Mugamura caught another glimpse of the battlefield before he collapsed. His fellow Visored had all been cut down and seemingly only by one man. The rest of the enemy's troops still seemed significantly further back, still fighting with the Lieutenants and the rest of the divisions of the 13 Court Guard Squads.

"D-, who was that guy?" Kensei thought to himself as his strength failed him, and he slammed against the ground.


	29. Final Pleas

_Author's Note_: Hello everybody! First off, thank you so much for sticking in with this story! Second off, I finally have another chapter! Well, actually, I've had this one done for awhile but I just never uploaded it. I had to fix some stuff in some upcoming chapters, and make sure that everything worked out alright. Just letting you know; it will probably be awhile until the next one comes out. I hope I formatted this right. Again, thanks so much for reading! Enjoy! Leave a comment maybe?

"Where is Hisashi? Where is he?" Tomomi begged, kneeling down before Jin'emon Kotsubaki. He merely sighed, sauntering over to his throne where he lazily took a seat. It was made of the mountain itself, Mt. Koifushi. Crystals jutted out of the sides to give it an otherworldly look, and eerily lit up Kotsubaki's face. Since the last time Tomomi had seen him, he had sustained several scars and his face, and his upper cheek was bleeding down the side of his face.

"He's not my problem anymore." Kotsubaki replied coldly. "Count yourself lucky that you survived Shimizu's wrath back when you were with Suì-Fēng in the courtroom." Tomomi glanced around, and noticed how dull Kotsubaki's room was compared to the courtroom. Kotsubaki had done nothing to it except carve a throne for himself, so it retained all of its natural beauty. There was a small lake to the side, and glowing blue crystals were everywhere. Stemming from the lake was a river, which Tomomi assumed flowed from a mountain spring to this small room.

"Why are you doing this? What are you trying to do?" Tomomi pleaded. Tears began streaming down her face and slowly dripping down to the ground. They each fell with a splatter, offering a strange break in the constant flow of the lake.

Kotsubaki blinked, somewhat taken aback, and Tomomi noticed a small tear fall from his eye into the flow of blood coming down his face. He looked at her resolutely in the eye, and she looked right back at him. In the moment, both of them saw into each other's soul, even if only for the brief moment.

"Please." Tomomi uttered, and was overcome with her tears. Kotsubaki sat there, and for the first time in his life he was unsure of what he was doing. He glanced backwards, where a Zanpakutō was placed on display on a small island in the middle of the lake. Tomomi caught a quick glimpse of the hilt before Kotsubaki turned back to face her and again obscured her view. She recognized it. It was quite familiar.

"Do you recognize that blade?" Kotsubaki asked, his usually purposeful voice lacking in force. Tomomi felt something she never had from Kotsubaki before: sadness.

"It is the blade of justice; the blade that can alter reality. It is Kosenotsubasa." Tomomi replied, her voice breaking.

"I do not think of it as the blade of justice. It is the blade that ended my father and mother's lives." Kotsubaki muttered. Tomomi was speechless. "That blade is solely responsible for my entire life. And now, it rests. In that, I have found my peace."

"Why, then? Why must we continue fighting? Why are you freeing Aizen?" Tomomi questioned him, and he turned his face away. Tomomi caught a quick glimpse of a tear slip from his face.

"Tomomi, if you share the belief with me that the past determines the future, then you will understand that it must happen. It is far too late to stop now. It has already begun." Kotsubaki replied softly, his voice quieter than ever before.

"I believe that the future can be changed! Shimizu thought so too! That's why he did everything he did! He did it to change the future, to make this world a better place for us!" Tomomi cried out in denial, shaking her head back and forth. Tears swept off the side of her face, and they splattered on the ground. Kotsubaki turned to watch her, but he remained passive.

"He believed in something that was foolish. He tampered with the future, and tried to make things better for you! He tried to make things better for himself! Now look. He's dead, and his Zanpakutō is in my hands now, the person who he tried to manipulate and betray! He's dead, and he's been tarnished in the 13 Court Guard Squad's history! He's dead, and now look at you. He was supposed to make your life better. Where are you now?" Kotsubaki's screams echoed through the cavern. Tomomi succumbed to her tears, and fell to the floor. "These scars I took for you!" Kotsubaki screeched, gesturing to his own face.

Kotsubaki then kneeled down and grabbed Tomomi by the collar. She shrieked as he lifted her up with hand, leaving her feet dangling in the air. "Shimizu was a selfish b-. Don't you ever forget it." Kotsubaki spat in her face, and then threw her to the ground. Tomomi felt her lungs suddenly collapse as she slammed against the ground, forcing all of the air out of her. She gasped in shock and blacked out.


End file.
